Identifying and listing items of heritage significance are the first steps towards protecting and managing those places and objects that we as a community want to keep.
Listing our special places on statutory heritage registers provides a legal framework for managing the approval of major changes so that heritage significance is retained and not diminished.
In NSW, our heritage is protected by two pieces of legislation:
- the Heritage Act 1977 (Heritage Act)
- the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 (NPW Act)
The NSW Government is reforming the way Aboriginal cultural heritage is conserved and managed in New South Wales and has received feedback from the public on the proposed new system. Further detail can be found here.