NT Govt seeks to strengthen sacred sites protection

The Northern Territory Government has introduced two new legislative amendment Bills that it says will drive certainty and security for stakeholders involved in development.

The Northern Territory Aboriginal Sacred Sites Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 (Sacred Sites Act Amendment Bill) and the Water Amendment (Aboriginal Water Reserves) Bill 2025 (Water Amendment Bill) were introduced to Parliament today.

Changes to the Sacred Sites legislation, there government says will seek to strengthen sacred site protection and improve efficiency of regulatory processes to support safe and respectful development in the Territory.

It is hoped the changes will provide for simpler and streamlined approval processes when constructing roads in regional areas and provide certainty for pastoralists.

For example, if a cattle station with an existing authority certificate is sold, that certificate can be transferred to the new owner, ensuring sacred sites remain protected and processes are not being duplicated.

Minister for Lands, Planning and Environment Josh Burgoyne said the amendments were designed to encourage more people to obtain their authority certificates by making the process more accessible, efficient, and protective of sacred sites.

Minister for Lands, Planning and Environment Josh Burgoyne.

“This Government respects Aboriginal decision-making practices and decisions. We are removing ourselves from prescribing a process for consent that already exists through existing practices,” Mr Burgoyne said.

“These amendments will provide the ability for Aboriginal landowners to activate water that is allocated to them to drive economic activity in regional communities.”

Key amendments include:

• Transferability of authority certificates issued by the Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority (AAPA): Allowing authority certificates to be transferred or updated with a recorded party reduces unnecessary duplication and ensures that any conditions put on a certificate to protect sacred sites also applies to new parties.
• Enforceable undertakings for AAPA: Offering a legally binding alternative to court proceedings, ensuring remediation and stronger compliance through clear timelines and monitoring
• Clarification of existing practices regarding the composition of the AAPA Board: Formalising existing practices to ensure continued strong representation of Traditional Owners while introducing additional expertise in development, heritage and governance.