During my time working for a government owned corporation, and as part of the connection of Queensland into the National Electricity Grid, I was required to negotiate with Traditional Owners to permit the building of a transmission line through land that contained extremely sensitive Aboriginal Cultural Heritage.
The approach I took was to engage with and involve the Traditional Owners of the affected land in both the decision-making for the location of the proposed transmission towers and the monitoring of the ground disturbance. This collaborative approach meant we were able to travel across this sensitive area without damaging any Aboriginal Cultural Heritage.
Not only did this satisfy the client’s legal obligations to protect Aboriginal Cultural Heritage, it also gave them the outcome they needed without having to reposition and lengthen the proposed transmission line – which would have meant millions of dollars in extra construction costs.