Eurobodalla salvage excavations 

Client: Health Infrastructure NSW 
Location: Moruya, NSW 
Date: 2023 – current

Services provided

• Salvage excavations and associated reporting
• Aboriginal community consultation
• Artefact analysis
• Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Management Plan
• Heritage Interpretation (in progress)
• Attending connecting with Country meetings
• Project management

Background

Biosis was commissioned by RP Infrastructure on behalf of Health Infrastructure NSW to undertake post-Aboriginal heritage impact permit (AHIP) approval works and post-State Significant Development (SSD) approval works, including Aboriginal archaeological salvage excavations, as part of the Eurobodalla Regional Hospital project in the Eurobodalla Shire. This project involved two months of salvage excavations with members of the local Aboriginal community. As part of the project community days were held on site to share what had been found with the wider Aboriginal community. The project also involved a press conference with the NSW Premier (Chris Minns).

As this project is currently underway, consultation with the Aboriginal community is still being undertaken to determine the long-term care and control of over 2,000 artefacts that were identified as part of the salvage program. The overall project also included Connecting with Country and Biosis attended several meetings to detail what archaeological works had been undertaken on site.

Outcome

Following the AHIP approval, Biosis was able to mobilse on site efficiently and quickly in order to commence the salvage excavations. Fortnightly meetings and reporting were held during the salvage excavations to ensure that they were completed in time and on budget. Consultation is being undertaken with the Aboriginal community to discuss the long care and control of the artefacts identified on site.

Biosis has developed strong relationships with Aboriginal community, which was built on honesty, inclusiveness, trust, and mutual respect. Flexibility was also key to the successful outcomes to date from this project. Biosis’ ability to communicate effectively with a range of stakeholders enabled the team to problem solve and provide innovative solutions to issues that arose during the project.