Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority (NT)

The Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority (‘the Authority’) is an independent statutory authority established under the Northern Territory Aboriginal Sacred Sites Act. The Authority is responsible for overseeing the protection of Aboriginal sacred sites on land and sea across the whole of Australia’s Northern Territory.

The broad purpose of the Northern Territory Aboriginal Sacred Sites Act is to:

‘...effect a practical balance between the recognised need to preserve and enhance Aboriginal cultural tradition in relation to certain land in the Territory and the aspirations of the Aboriginal and all other peoples of the Territory for their economic, cultural and social advancement...’

To ensure that the Authority remains at arms-length from the Government, the operations of the Authority are overseen by a 12-member board. The Board consists mainly of senior male and female Aboriginal custodians from across the Northern Territory. The staff of the Authority is appointed under section 17 of the Sacred Sites Act and the Chief Executive Officer is appointed by the Administrator of the Northern Territory.