National heritage laws
The National Heritage List is a list of places with outstanding heritage value to our nation, including places overseas. These places are protected under the Australian Government's national environment law — the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).
Matters of national environmental significance
National heritage is one of eight matters of national environmental significance protected by the EPBC Act.
By law, no one can take an action that is likely to have a significant impact on any of these matters without approval. There are penalties for those who do. An action includes a project, development, undertaking, an activity or series of activities.
The eight matters of national environmental significance are:
- Australia's world heritage properties
- national heritage places
- wetlands of international importance (listed under the Ramsar Convention)
- migratory species
- listed threatened and ecological communities
- Commonwealth marine areas
- the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, and
- nuclear actions, including uranium mining
If you are proposing to take an action that will have, or is likely to have a significant impact on the national heritage values of a national heritage place and/or any other nationally protected matter, you must refer that action to the Australian environment minister.
The environment minister will decide whether the action requires further assessment, and if necessary approval under the EPBC Act.
Heritage public notices
Public notices under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act):
- Heritage public notices database
- Call for Nominations for the National and Commonwealth Heritage Lists for the 2013-14 Assessment Period (PDF - 34KB) | (Word - 43KB)
- Finalised Priority Assessment Lists for the National Heritage List
- See also public notices published by the Australian Heritage Council
Quick Links
- Australian Heritage Week
- Public notices
- Asia-Pacific Focal Point
- Australia's dinosaurs
- Managing Commonwealth heritage places
- Australian Heritage Council
- Australian Heritage Places Inventory (AHPI)
- Australian Heritage Database
- Australian Heritage Information
- Export permits
- Indigenous heritage
- Place managers network
- Historic Shipwrecks Program factsheet
- Patrimonito Storyboard competition
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