Media releases

Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority v Hayes Enterprises (NT) Pty Ltd

Hayes Enterprises NT has been convicted and fined $32,400 in the Local Court in Darwin today, after pleading guilty to working on a sacred site without an Authority Certificate.

Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority v Director of National Parks

Today the Full Court of the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory found that the Director of National Parks cannot be prosecuted for offences under the Sacred Sites Act.

Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority welcomes Ministerial decision on MRM sacred sites agreement

Today the NT Minister for Heritage Chansey Paech’s upheld the Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority's finding that McArthur River Mine must undertake consultation with sacred site custodians before any mine expansion.

Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority v Director of National Parks

Earlier today the NT Local Court held a directions hearing in relation to an alleged breach of the Sacred Sites Act by the Director of National Parks in Kakadu.

Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority v Vu Van Nguyen

Commercial mud crab fisherman, Mr Vu Van Nguyen has been convicted and fined $2,000 in the Local Court in Darwin, after being found guilty of working on a sacred site without an Authority Certificate, contrary to section 34 of the Northern Territory Aboriginal Sacred Sites Act 1989 .

Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority v Director of National Parks

The Northern Territory Local Court held a directions hearing in relation to the prosecution of an alleged breach of section 34 of the Sacred Sites Act by Parks Australia in the World Heritage listed Kakadu National Park. The Director of National Parks has raised a constitutional matter, asserting that the Director of National Parks has the benefit of Crown immunity...

Gunlom Walking Track

AAPA alleges that Parks Australia constructed a new walking track on the sacred site at Gunlom without an Authority Certificate and close to a key feature of the sacred site that is restricted according to Aboriginal tradition. At today’s hearing Parks Australia sought another adjournment, rather than indicate whether or not it would plead guilty

National Broadband Network

Since 2012 the Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority (AAPA) has been working with the National Broadband Network Company (NBNCo) to provide sacred site clearance for NBNCo infrastructure in towns and regions of the Northern Territory. In 2014-2015 the AAPA completed Authority Certificates for the NBN Project over the townships of Alice Springs, Katherine, Tennant Creek, Nhulunbuy and parts of Darwin.

Historic conviction of miner for desecrating sacred site

The historic prosecution of a Singapore-based mining company for the desecration of an Aboriginal sacred site in the Northern Territory has prompted the Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority (AAPA) to call for miners to respect the law and honour their agreements, in the middle of a national mining boom. OM Manganese Ltd was today fined $150,000 in the Darwin Magistrates’ Court...