News Clippings

Farm Weekly: Court case to defend rights of everyone

When Tony Maddox walks into the Supreme Court tomorrow, Friday, February 20, supporters say he will be carrying more than his own defence. He will be testing how Aboriginal heritage law applies to freehold farmland across WA. The Toodyay farmer has pursued a judge-only appeal against his conviction for breaching WA’s unamended Aboriginal Heritage Act (ACHA) 1972, after undertaking works on a creek crossing at his property in 2022. Found guilty in the Magistrates Court

Darren Brown February 19, 2026

Media Releases

Land Titles must show Aboriginal Heritage

WA’s peak agricultural bodies are demanding that the government make immediate changes to ensure existing and new Aboriginal Heritage sites are shown on property Titles. The call comes ahead of a Supreme Court appeal by Toodyay farmer Tony Maddox who was charged for repairing a creek crossing on his property against the Aboriginal Heritage Act, despite not being told a “Site” had been declared on his land. WAFarmers President Steve McGuire said the Department of

Darren Brown February 13, 2026

Tony Maddox was charged by the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage after concreting his gravel crossing. Credit: Olivia Ford

News Clippings

Countryman: Calls from peak farming bodies for Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Committee transparency

The following article was published by The Countryman newspaper today Calls from peak farming bodies for Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Committee transparency Georgia Campion WA’s peak farming bodies have called for the State Government to lift the lid on what they say is the secretive work of the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Committee, which meets every two weeks to determine places of cultural significance. WAFarmers and the Pastoralists and Graziers Association of WA’s call comes as Toodyay

Darren Brown February 10, 2026

Correspondence

Letter to DPLH Director General asking for ACHC papers to be published

The following self-explanatory letter was sent to the Director General of the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage (DPLH) today: Anthony Kannis PSM Director General Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage By email: [email] 9 February 2026 Dear Anthony, REQUEST TO PUBLISH PAPERS OF ABORIGINAL CULTURAL HERITAGE COMMITTEE MEETINGS I write in my capacity at WAFarmers with the support of the Pastoralists and Graziers Association of WA (PGA) to ask you to direct the relevant

Darren Brown February 9, 2026

Media Releases

Peak bodies call for immediate changes to ensure full transparency in Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Committee

The PGA and WAFarmers have called on the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage (DPLH) to immediately deliver full public transparency of the work undertaken by the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Committee (ACHC). WAFarmers President Steve McGuire said members of the ACHC meets every two weeks and are paid by the government to decide – ‘on behalf of the community’ – places of cultural significance and advise the Minister about questions related to the Act. “There

Darren Brown February 6, 2026

Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Committee (ACHC)

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