Rosie’s first step is to undertake a due diligence search using Dial-Before-You-Dig or contacting her colleagues in Aboriginal Heritage Tasmania. The best time to begin your due diligence is when you are in the early planning stages of your activity.
This ensures you take into account any Aboriginal heritage requirements, if they are needed, before any detailed plans are prepared, planning approvals are finalised or ground works begin.
The first part of your due diligence search is to check the Aboriginal Heritage Tasmania Property Search website.
The preliminary search of the Aboriginal Heritage Register will identify whether there is known Aboriginal heritage in the area or if there is a risk your proposed activity may impact Aboriginal heritage.
Alternatively, you may contact Aboriginal Heritage Tasmania directly using the Aboriginal Heritage Desktop Review Formopens pdf in a new window particularly if you are already aware Aboriginal heritage is likely to be present in the vicinity of your activity.
There are two possible outcomes from the due diligence search.
Either you will be able to proceed with your proposed activity or you will need to stop and do further assessment work.
If Rosie’s search returned a STOP result, it would indicate that there may be Aboriginal heritage in the area and she would be asked to submit an Aboriginal Heritage Desktop Review Form opens in a new window to Aboriginal Heritage Tasmania.
If Rosie’s search returned a proceed result, she would be issued with a Search Record and an Unanticipated Discovery Planopens pdf in a new window. There will be more information about the Unanticipated Discovery Plan later in this section.
The Search Record is valid for six months. As long as Rosie keeps the Search Record and the Unanticipated Discovery Plan on hand, to guide her in the event that Aboriginal heritage is uncovered, she can use the result in a Reserve Activity Assessment or, where applicable, proceed carefully with her activity.
"This result surprises me. I would have thought something might have been recorded from when the carpark was first developed. I will check with Aboriginal Heritage Tasmania for further information."
Only known Aboriginal heritage is recorded in the Aboriginal Heritage Register. It is important to remember that it is an offence under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1975 to interfere with Aboriginal heritage without a permit granted by the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs. So even if you have a Search Record indicating that you may proceed, and you have an Unanticipated Discovery Planopens pdf in a new window on hand, you may still impact Aboriginal heritage when doing your activity.
"We weren't expecting to find anything like this. It looks like we may have found some stone artefacts.
I’m going to need to use my Unanticipated Discovery Plan opens pdf in a new window and report this to Aboriginal Heritage Tasmania."
If Aboriginal cultural heritage is disturbed by your activity, or you make an unanticipated discovery of something that you think might be Aboriginal heritage, you must stop work.
Under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1975, you are required to report the suspected Aboriginal heritage (relic) as soon as practicable. This can be done by contacting Aboriginal Heritage Tasmania opens in a new window on 1300 487 045 or email aboriginal@heritage.tas.gov.au.
