Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Register and Information System (ACHRIS)How to complete an application for access to the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Register (VAHR)

User Guide

Updated October 2016

ACHRIS v1.6.0

This User Guide contains VAHR material and should be used in accordance with the requirements of the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006

Contents

User Guide 1

1. Who may access the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Register? 3

2. How do I obtain access to the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Register? 4

3. Completing the Application for Access to the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Register 43.1 Sections of the Application for Access form 5

Applicant Information:............................................................................................................................ 5

Applicant Category:............................................................................................................................... 5

Land Description:................................................................................................................................... 5

Purpose of Application:.......................................................................................................................... 6

Information Sought:............................................................................................................................... 6

Information Management:...................................................................................................................... 6

Attach Additional Information:................................................................................................................6

Terms and Conditions of Access to the Register:..................................................................................6

3.2 Submitting the Application for Access form 6

4. Prescribed Fees 6

5. What happens next? 7

6. Accessing ACHRIS Register Search 7

7. Acronyms and Terms 9

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1. Who may access the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Register?The Aboriginal Heritage Amendment Act 2016, which makes changes to the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006, commenced on 1 August 2016. Changes to Section 146 of the Act affect who may access the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Register (VAHR). The following people or parties may have access to the Register:

a) A Registered Aboriginal Party (RAP) that requires information relating to the RAP’s area of responsibility, or a person authorised in writing by a RAP who requires information relating to that RAP’s area of responsibility.

b) A member of the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council (VAHC) or a public sector employee for the purpose of administering and managing Aboriginal cultural heritage in Victoria, or maintaining and updating the Register.

c) A person engaged as a heritage advisor (HA) for a Cultural Heritage Management Plan (CHMP), Preliminary Aboriginal Heritage Test (PAHT), Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Land Management Agreement or a Cultural Heritage Audit, to conduct research related to that plan, test, agreement or audit.

d) A land owner wishing to obtain information on any Aboriginal cultural heritage relating to the owner's land.

e) A person or body that controls and manages Crown Land to obtain information to assist in carrying out those functions or duties.

f) A Local Government employee to carry out functions or duties associated with their employment.

g) A heritage advisor appointed by a proposed developer, purchaser or user of land, or by a person specified under d), e) or f) above, or (j), (k), (l), (m), (n) or (o) below in relation to land – to obtain information on any Aboriginal cultural heritage relating to the land.

h) A person who applies for the certification of a Preliminary Aboriginal Heritage Test, to obtain information on any Aboriginal cultural heritage relating to the land on which the proposed activity is to be carried out.

i) A holder of a Cultural Heritage Permit, to obtain information on any Aboriginal cultural heritage relating to that permit.

j) The Executive Director of Heritage Victoria, for the purpose of managing and protecting Aboriginal cultural heritage on or associated with a heritage place.

k) A Catchment Management Authority (CMA) to obtain information to assist in carrying out functions or duties associated with the control or management of land.

l) The Minister responsible for the Register of Aboriginal Sites and Objects in South Australia, to obtain information to assist with the management and protection of Aboriginal cultural heritage in South Australia in the vicinity of the Victorian border.

m) The Director-General appointed under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 of NSW responsible for maintaining the public register established under section 188F of that act, to obtain information to assist with the management and protection of Aboriginal cultural heritage in NSW in the vicinity of the Victorian border.

n) A person employed under the Public Administration Act 2004 responsible for the assessment of applications for planning permits or amendments to planning schemes, to obtain information on any Aboriginal cultural heritage relating to the application.

o) A person wishing to obtain information on whether an Aboriginal Intangible Heritage Agreement is required or exists.

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p) A person acting with the written approval of each Registered Aboriginal Party for the application area or, if there is no RAP for the area, with the written approval of the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council.

2. How do I obtain access to the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Register?The Aboriginal Heritage Amendment Act 2016 incorporates changes to the way the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Register is accessed. In particular, registered ACHRIS users with Local Government Authority (LGA) access or Crown Land manager access are now required to submit an Application for Access before being able to access the Register. To obtain access to the Register, you must apply using the online application form in the ACHRIS system: https://applications.vic.gov.au/apps/achris/public/home

On the ACHRIS Home page, a list of functions appears on the lefthand side. If you are a registered ACHRIS user, you must firstly log in to ACHRIS before applying for access to the Register. (Select Login.) From the ACHRIS Home page, select Application for Access from the lefthand menu, then select Complete Application. A template for a new Application is presented.

3. Completing the Application for Access to the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage RegisterThe online form specifies the information to be provided by a person or party seeking access to records held on the Heritage Register.

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The form contains a number of sections. Some fields are displayed conditionally – certain information you provide will generate the display of other fields.Supporting documentation in various file formats can be attached to the Application form. For example, documents including maps, plans, photos and spatial attachments can be uploaded, where requested. There are some mandatory fields which require a response prior to submission of the form. Mandatory fields are marked with a red asterisk – for examplePurpose of Application *Providing as much information as possible when submitting the Application for Access form will facilitate processing and review by AV Registry staff.

3.1 Sections of the Application for Access form The form contains the following sections:

Applicant Information Applicant Category Land Description Purpose of Application Information Sought Information Management Attach Additional Information Terms and Conditions of Access to the Register

Applicant Information: Name and contact details of the applicant, including organisation name as appropriate, are required.

If you are a registered ACHRIS user, the account you used to log on to the ACHRIS system records the name and contact details of the account holder. This information is used to pre-fill the Applicant’s name and contact details fields on the screen. These fields can be changed – overwritten if needed.

Applicant Category:The categories of people or parties who may have access to the Heritage Register are set out in section 1 of this document. These 16 categories are listed and detailed on the online form. An applicant must indicate under which of the specified categories you are applying for access.Note that a person who, or a party that, does not meet one of the criteria detailed in the list of categories cannot access the Register. In this case, a separate Application for Advice (under s.147 of the Act) may be made as to whether a record exists on the Register in relation to a nominated area of land.

Land Description:Provide the best available description of the land to which the request relates. A copy of the Title should be attached, if available. A Property Address should be provided, where applicable. Land References – Subdivisional References (Lot/Plan details) and Crown References (Parish/Allotment etc. details) can be provided.

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Attach a map or plan (e.g. pdf file) with sufficient detail to identify the boundaries of the application area. A spatial file, such as an ESRI shapefile, which represents the nominated area of land may be attached. More than one file can be uploaded, if needed.

Purpose of Application:A reason for your request for access to the Heritage Register must be provided. For example, for a Heritage Advisor, the purpose may be for a Cultural Heritage Management Plan, cultural heritage audit, desktop assessment or due diligence.

Information Sought:The information required from the Heritage Register must be specified. This could be, for example, information on reports of registered Aboriginal Places, Cultural Heritage Management Plans or other archaeological reports.

Information Management:Information accessed from the Heritage Register must be treated as confidential. Arrangements for ensuring its confidentiality must be described.Refer to the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Register section on the AV website for guidance on the requirements of the Act: http://www.vic.gov.au/aboriginalvictoria/heritage.html

Attach Additional Information: As much supporting information as possible in relation to the applicant category and the purpose for access should be provided. This may include any authorisation or approval, or evidence of appointment if you are a Heritage Advisor, or documents demonstrating land ownership.If you are a Heritage Advisor applying under category G (only) who is permanently engaged by a ‘non-heritage’ organisation, such as Melbourne Water, and conducting due diligence for that organisation’s own projects, then you are not required to provide evidence of appointment.

Terms and Conditions of Access to the Register:The Terms and Conditions under which access to the Heritage Register is provided are defined in this section. An acknowledgement that you have read and accepted these Terms and Conditions is required as a condition of obtaining access to the Register.

3.2 Submitting the Application for Access formClick Submit at the bottom of the Application for Access form to submit your Application for Access to the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Register.

4. Prescribed FeesThe Aboriginal Heritage Amendment Act 2016 establishes new provisions and changes to the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006. These include the collection of fees and charges to go into an Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Management Fund to be managed by the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage

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Council. On the VAHC’s recommendation, funds will be used to facilitate Aboriginal cultural heritage management and protection projects. For further details, refer to the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Register section on the AV website: http://www.vic.gov.au/aboriginalvictoria/heritage.html

A prescribed fee applies to access the Heritage Register if you are applying under category C or G. These categories are detailed in section 1 of this document. The prescribed fee must accompany the application. On submitting an Application for Access form, a Heritage Advisor applying under category C or G will be presented with a Payment Information screen specifying the prescribed fee to be paid. AV has an arrangement with the Westpac bank which ensures that secure online credit card payments can be made.

5. What happens next?Following submission of the Application for Access form and, where applicable, payment of the prescribed fee, a screen message acknowledges successful submission:

An automated email notification will be sent to you confirming the submitted application form is being processed. The notification will contain an application reference number.

AV Registry staff process Applications for Access in order of receipt and will contact you if there are any queries about your application. When approved, applicants who have requested access to the Register for a purpose other than a Cultural Heritage Management Plan will receive another automated email notification which provides an Access Approval Number. This number is required to be entered when you access the ACHRIS Register Search facility and is valid for 30 days.

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6. Accessing ACHRIS Register Search From the ACHRIS Home page, selecting any Register Search menu item (Register Search Map, Find Registered Aboriginal Places, Find Archaeological Reports) will bring up the Access to the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Register screen. Insert your Access Approval Number (or Cultural Heritage Management Plan Number) to gain access.

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7. Acronyms and Terms

Acronym/Term Description

1 ACHRIS Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Register and Information System

2 Act Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006

3 AV Aboriginal Victoria

4 CHA Cultural Heritage Advisor

5 CHMP Cultural Heritage Management Plan

6 CMA Catchment Management Authority

7 DPC Department of Premier and Cabinet

8 HA Heritage Advisor

9 LGA Local Government Authority

10 PAHT Preliminary Aboriginal Heritage Test

11 RAP Registered Aboriginal Party

12 Register Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Register

13 VAHC Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council

14 VAHR Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Register

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