Information Access Policy
The Aboriginal Cultural Material Committee is of the view that, subject to various restrictions relating to particularly confidential information, publication of limited information about sites better protects and and preserves Aboriginal sites than does blanket confidentiality. Within that strategic framework information lodged with the Registrar is accessible subject to the following access policy.
Open Access
Information assessed as "Open" is not restricted in any way and, subject to search time, can be made available on immediate request. The location and extent of places are shown on all maps and mapping systems, including the Aboriginal Heritage Inquiry System. The majority of places on the Register have Open access. The letter O will be used in reports from the Register to indicate that a place has Open access.
Closed Access
Information assessed as "Closed" is restricted to places where the information contains culturally sensitive information. Most Closed site files include requests from the Aboriginal informants that they remain closed. If anyone wishes to access Closed files, apart from the informants themselves, DIA requires the written approval of appropriate informants. Download the Request to Access Closed Site Files letter and form.
DIA maps the locations of all sites, including Closed sites, as accurately as the information lodged with the Registrar allows. However, to preserve the confidentiality of Closed sites their locations are published in reports from the Register and displayed on the Aboriginal Heritage Inquiry System within one or more 2 km square boxes. These 2 km boxes act as indicators for the presence of sites rather than as the exact boundaries of the sites.
Some sites have been given open access by the informants, but are deemed to be vulnerable by the Registrar (generally these are significant archaeological sites). The locations of these sites are also masked by one or more 2km2 site boxes, but other information is freely available to applicants. Access to information on a vulnerable site's location is at the discretion of the Registrar.
The letter C will be used in reports from the Register to indicate that a place has Closed access. The letter V is used for vulnerable sites.
Sites Files
Site files have a colour coding to indicate the access policy for the file. The colours are:
- red tags are placed on Closed site files;
- red for "Vulnerable" site files, with a "V" label affixed near the site number; and,
- Open site files do not have any colour tagging.
Access to information
Access to information from the Aboriginal Sites Register is available in a number of forms: