The Hon Neil Thomson MLC asked the following Question Without Notice which was answered by the Hon Stephen Dawson MLC:

Hon Neil Thomson to the Leader of the House representing the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs:

(1) How many landowners has the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage charged for breaching the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972 for each of the last 10 years?

(2) Of those in (1), how many resulted in:

(a) a court finding the accused guilty;

(b) a court finding the accused not guilty;

(c) the case being settled prior to a court finding; and

(d) the case being dropped by the government?

(3) What was the cost to government of these legal proceedings by year?

Hon Stephen Dawson replied:

I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. The following answer is provided on behalf of the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs.

The answer to part (1) is in tabular form, so I seek leave to have that incorporated into Hansard.

(1)

2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025
0	0	0	0	0	1	2	7	3	6	2

(2) Two matters are still before the courts. For the rest:

(a) The answer is 17.

(b) The answer is zero.

(c) The answer is zero.

(d) The answer is two.

(3) Investigations and prosecutions are undertaken internally by the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage. The costs of these activities are part of the usual operating budgets.