Our Services and Resources

Aboriginal Cultural Site Identification, Assessments, Surveying & Excavations

Section 90 of the National Parks & Wildlife Act 1974 (NPW Act) requires anyone who wishes to carry out development that destroys or damages Aboriginal objects to obtain a consent to destroy the Aboriginal object from the Department of Environment & Conservation. Section 91 pf the Environmental Planning & Assessment Act (EPA Act) provides for such consent to be sought as part of an integrated development consent.

In practice, due to the widespread occupation of the Sydney Basin by Aboriginal people, any development which involves the disturbance of the natural ground surface has the potential to damage or destroy Aboriginal objects such as axes, grinding stones, tools and flints. A general safeguard against a breach of both the NPW Act and the EPA Act is to conduct a Cultural Heritage Site Assessment prior to the lodgement of a Development Application.

Metro employs professional, qualified and highly skilled Aboriginal Land and Conservation Management Officers. Metro has developed an accredited Conservation and Land Management training program in conjunction with NSW TAFE. We have a team of fully trained and qualified Site Conservation Officers to complete any works requested, on a small or large scale.

Metro has over 10 years of experience working across the Sydney Metropolitan Area in relation to Aboriginal Sites, some of which includes:

o      Aboriginal Sites Identification, Assessment & Surveying
o      Aboriginal Archaeological Excavation
o      Monitoring of Aboriginal Sites

Metro is the leading Aboriginal organization in the Sydney Metropolitan area to assist developers and other persons meet legislative requirements in relation to Aboriginal culture and heritage issues. Our highly skilled and qualified Aboriginal Sites Officers employed by Metro have worked on many Site projects including:

  o    Site Monitoring Request Form
  o    Site Survey Request Form

Some of Metro’s many valued clients include, NSW Roads & Traffic Authority, Sydney Water, Sydney Energy, NSW State Rail and Sydney University.