We are advocating for improved support and protection for movable and intangible heritage and operating heritage in particular.
How we want legislation to change and what is being done
- Recognise movable and intangible heritage in the Australian Heritage Strategy
- The current Strategy does not apply to movable or intangible heritage
- After discussion with the Ministers and Departments of the Environment and the Arts it has been agreed to include reference to movable and intangible heritage in the Strategy.
- Combine with other heritage organisations to advocate for completion of the new Protection of Movable Cultural Heritage Act which includes the recommendation made in the 2015 Review of the Act conducted by Mr Shane Simpson (Borders of Culture)
- The Simpson Review recommended increasing the level of protection for movable cultural heritage
- The entire heritage community supports the recommendations
- All major political parties support the recommendations
- A new act has been drafted
- The former and current Minister have given assurances that the new Act will be implemented (including personal assurances in July 2020)
- After 6 years the Commonwealth Government has not implemented the legislation
How you can help
Write to your local federal member of parliament. It does not matter which political party they represent.
- Explain your interest in movable heritage
- Clubs you belong to
- What you do for the local community
- Explain your concern that significant object are being exported including any examples that you know of
- Explain your concern that the new legislation has not been passed
- In spite of universal agreement from the heritage community
- In spite of assurances by Government Ministers over many years that the Simpson Review recommendations would be implemented
- In spite of assurances given by the current Minister (Paul Fletcher) as recently as July 2020 that the Simpson Review recommendations would be implemented
Please contact Operating Heritage Australia through our Contact Us page here for assistance in drafting a letter.
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