Inquiry into the destruction of 46,000 year old caves at the Juukan Gorge in the Pilbara region of Western Australia

The destruction of the Juukan Gorge demonstrates how Indigenous culture and heritage is undervalued by law and policy in Australian society. In particular, Commonwealth and Western Australian heritage laws prescribe a very narrow role for Indigenous peoples in large scale developments on their Country. This narrow role is inconsistent with global best practice principles for development, the recognised rights of Indigenous peoples and obligations of the state under international law.