Australian Capital Territory Current Acts

HERITAGE ACT 2004 - SECT 51

    (1)     A person commits an offence if the person—

        (a)     discovers an Aboriginal place or object; and

        (b)     has reasonable grounds to believe it is an Aboriginal place or object; and

        (c)     fails to take reasonable steps to report the discovery to the council, in accordance with subsection (2), as soon as practicable after the day of the discovery.

Maximum penalty: 5 penalty units.

    (2)     The report must be in writing and must include the following:

        (a)     a description of the place or object and its location;

        (b)     the person's name and address;

        (c)     if known by the person—the name and address of the owner or occupier of the place where the discovery was made.

    (3)     A discovery is taken to be reported to the council as soon as practicable if the discovery is reported to the council within 5 working days after the day of the discovery.

    (4)     An offence against this section is a strict liability offence.