Managing Commonwealth heritage places
The way in which a Commonwealth heritage place is managed can have an impact on the heritage values of that place. It is important, therefore, to understand your responsibilities as a manager and the professional expertise and tools available to ensure that those values are protected and conserved for future generations.
Working Together: Managing Commonwealth Heritage Places is a user friendly guide which provides an overview of matters to consider in relation to the management of Commonwealth Heritage places. The guide has been specifically prepared for managers who have a responsibility for these types of heritage places.
Duties of Commonwealth agencies
Australian Government agencies that own or lease heritage places are required to assist the Minister of the Environment and Water resources (the Minister) and the Australian Heritage Council (the Council) to identify and assess the heritage values of these places. They are also required to:
- develop heritage strategies. See Making a Heritage Strategy (PDF - 546 KB)
- produce a register of the heritage places under their control
- develop a management plan to manage these places consistent with the Commonwealth Heritage management principles prescribed in regulations to the Act
- ensure the ongoing protection of the Commonwealth heritage values of the place when selling or leasing a Commonwealth heritage place
- ask the Minister for advice about taking an action, if the action has, or will have, or is likely to have, a significant impact on a Commonwealth heritage place.
Commonwealth Heritage management principles
Heritage management principles set the standard and the scope of the way places should be managed in order to protect heritage values for future generations. These principles should be used when preparing and implementing management plans and programs. In the absence of a management plan, they should guide the management of heritage values of a property.
Management plans for Commonwealth Heritage places
A management plan is a document that identifies the values of a heritage place and policies to be followed to ensure that the identified heritage values are protected and conserved.
Determining a significant impact and making a referral
The person appointed with the responsibility for a proposed action needs to undertake a 'self assessment' to decide whether or not a proposed action is likely to have an adverse or 'significant' impact on the Commonwealth Heritage values of the place. That action must be referred to the Minister for a decision.
It is recommended that this section be read in association with the material provided on Referrals under the EPBC Act.
Finding assistance
A heritage professional can assist in the preparation of a management plan and the assessment of potential impacts of proposed action on heritage values. Informal advice can also be sought from the Heritage Division of DEWHA.
Key Publications
Information on key publications which are regarded as guidelines for best practice heritage management:
Other resources
Information on further resources that might be of assistance in managing a Commonwealth Heritage place:
Quick Links
- Public notices
- Asia-Pacific Focal Point
- Australia's dinosaurs
- Managing Commonwealth heritage places
- Australian Heritage Council
- Australian Heritage Places Inventory (AHPI)
- Australian Heritage Database
- Export permits
- Indigenous heritage
- Place managers network
- Historic Shipwrecks Program factsheet
- Patrimonito Storyboard competition
Key
Links to another web site
Opens a pop-up window