Heritage

Managing a heritage place

What to include in your Commonwealth Heritage place management plan

The Regulations set out a list of detailed requirements that a management plan must address. Management plans for Commonwealth Heritage places must be consistent with the Commonwealth Heritage management principles.

Management plans must include the following matters:

(a) Establish objectives for the identification, protection, conservation, presentation and transmission of the Commonwealth Heritage values of the place.

The purpose of this provision is to ensure Commonwealth agencies clearly establish and set out objectives for the identification, protection, conservation, presentation and transmission of the Commonwealth Heritage values of a place.

The agency can draw on the objectives of the heritage provisions of the Act and Regulations, and industry standards and methodology included in documents such as the Burra Charter, Natural Heritage Charter and Ask First, as well as State and Territory management publications and other management guides.

(b) Provide a management framework including reference to any statutory requirements and agency mechanisms for the protection of the Commonwealth Heritage values of the place.

The purpose of this provision is to ensure that Commonwealth agencies establish a management framework for a place that will ensure their obligations for managing its Commonwealth Heritage values are met.

There should be a description of how the agency will incorporate heritage management requirements into its existing asset management regime; this includes on-ground management and decision-making structures.

The framework should include any local, State and Commonwealth statutory requirements and relevant administrative systems, processes and arrangements.

(c) Provide a comprehensive description of the place, including information about its location, physical features, condition, historical context and current uses.

The purpose of this provision is to ensure the management plan includes a description of the place and its condition and uses at the time the management plan is being prepared.

The description will form the basis for understanding the place and its heritage values. A description and condition assessment must be sufficient to provide a framework against which to assess the values and measure any change to the heritage values. The level of detail in the description will be determined by the complexity of the place and its heritage values. The description should make use of appropriate primary and secondary sources of information and properly referenced images, maps, plans etc. In preparing a management plan, reference must be made to the existing Commonwealth Heritage List record of the place. The description should include:

(d) Provide a description of the Commonwealth Heritage values and any other heritage values of the place.

The purpose of this provision is to ensure the management plan includes a clear description of the Commonwealth Heritage values and any other heritage values.

The description of values should make reference to the Commonwealth Heritage criteria in Regulation 10.03A in the Regulations and should investigate whether there are other potential Commonwealth Heritage values other than those for which the place is listed.

The description should also include other heritage values that do not meet the Commonwealth Heritage criteria but which contribute to the significance of the place and may be of State or local value. Consideration should also be given to whether the place has any potential National Heritage value(s).

It would be helpful if the description were presented in the form of a statement of values that identifies and describes the values (against the Commonwealth Heritage criteria) that the management plan aims to protect, conserve, present and transmit. The Commonwealth Heritage List records must be used to guide management plans for those places currently entered in the List. The Register of the National Estate Database and other heritage registers may provide useful information.

It is possible that more Commonwealth Heritage values will be discovered in the process of management planning and review. If this happens, the Act provides for these values to be considered for inclusion in the Commonwealth Heritage place record.

A complete copy of the Commonwealth Heritage List entry for the place should also be included.

Note:

  1. A 'statement of values' is how the statutory component of a place's listing is provided under the Act. It deconstructs the statement of significance into statements against each of the individual criteria for which the place is listed.
  2. A review of the values for which the place is currently listed is also recommended, especially if a recent assessment has not been undertaken. This would be an efficient way, and of benefit to agencies, to update their heritage register, which is a requirement of a heritage strategy that each agency must prepare.

(e) Describe the condition of the Commonwealth Heritage values of the place.

The purpose of this provision is to ensure the management plan includes a discussion about the integrity of the values of the place at the time the management plan is being prepared. This would include statements on the degree of intactness of its attributes and whether they are still well represented by the place. The condition description will assist in providing the basis for measuring change (see also clause (h)(i) below).

The description should refer to the condition of the values against the Commonwealth Heritage criteria and include reference to the physical condition of the place that reflects the value(s), where appropriate.

(f) Describe the method used to assess the Commonwealth Heritage values.

The purpose of this provision is to ensure that the method used to assess the Commonwealth Heritage values of a place is recorded for future reference.

A brief description is required that includes the name of the assessor(s) and the methodology used. The methodology should be clearly described and explanations given about how the judgements about Commonwealth Heritage values were reached. Information should be documented and referenced so that it can be easily verified. An integral part of the method for assessing values is consultation with relevant stakeholders.

A good method should demonstrate, where relevant:

If a thematic approach to the assessment of the Commonwealth Heritage values has been used this should also be explained, including how the place demonstrates the themes. A concise statement of significance that clearly addresses the question of 'Why is this place significant?' is useful. (There may be a number of points in the statement depending on the complexity of the site and the number and nature of its values.)

Where the statement of significance and values vary from that in the Commonwealth Heritage List for the place, it is advisable to discuss these issues with the Heritage Division of the DEW in the draft stages of preparation of the plan.

Finally, it is important to indicate any further analysis that needs to be done.

(g) Describe the current management requirements and goals, including proposals for change and any potential pressures on the Commonwealth Heritage values of the place.

The purpose of this provision is to ensure the management plan articulates the current management requirements and goals, and identifies any known or anticipated pressures on the Commonwealth Heritage values of a place.

Commonwealth agencies should identify and describe any requirements and constraints on the management of the place that may affect its Commonwealth Heritage values, including the operational requirements of the agency.

An overview of the management context that the agency is working within in relation to the place should also be included. In describing potential pressures, agencies should consider current and future threats including those that originate outside the place. Agencies should also identify and describe works or other operational factors likely to impact on the heritage values, including such matters as an intention to dispose of the property, subdivide, develop it or change the use of the place or its elements. Identifying and describing these factors should assist with the development of policies that co- ordinate heritage management obligations and operational requirements.

(h) Have policies to manage the Commonwealth Heritage values of a place, and include in those policies, guidance in relation to the following:

The purpose of this provision is to ensure that management plans for Commonwealth Heritage places include a comprehensive set of policies that will guide the day-to-day and short to long term management of the place and that the management practices are consistent with the Commonwealth Heritage management principles.

(i) the management and conservation processes to be used:

The management and conservation processes that should be used will depend on the values of the place and the management issues.

A number of conservation processes are described in the Burra Charter and the Australian Natural Heritage Charter.

It should be noted that the processes described by the charters for the conservation of places of natural and of cultural heritage significance differ.

Depending on which environment is relevant; appropriate processes may include stabilisation, maintenance, regeneration, enhancement, preservation or protection, restoration, reconstruction, adaptation and/or interpretation.

Policy decisions need to be made as to the most appropriate processes and the basis for these decisions should be described.

Ask First also identifies the types of Indigenous heritage management practices that may be used to maintain heritage values.

Indigenous involvement in management planning and activities must be included for Indigenous heritage places.

(ii) access and security, including access to the area for Indigenous people to maintain cultural traditions;

Policies on who is to be allowed access to various parts of the place, and the circumstances under which this will be allowed, may need to be developed.

If public or other access is to be restricted, the management plan should include reasons for and policies to manage this objective.

The plan should consider how the values of the place would be secured from theft, vandalism and other disturbances, if these were issues. Where relevant, policies to ensure access for Indigenous people to maintain cultural traditions should be developed. There should also be policies for general public access to places or sites with Indigenous heritage value, where appropriate.

These policies should be developed in consultation with Indigenous people.

An investigation of the Native Title status of the place is recommended. Further information National Native Title Tribunal at or by telephoning 1800 640 501.

(iii) stakeholder and community consultation and liaison arrangements;

The management plan should contain policies and procedures that establish the framework for public consultation on the management of the property. This framework should include the identification of those concerned about and responsible for management of the heritage values of the place, including owners and managers of the place, community organisations and people with past or present associations or interests in the place. Depending on their interest, stakeholders may just need to be informed, others may need to be included in formal consultation processes. Some may need to be involved in ongoing management.

The policies should make it clear how stakeholders will be consulted and what will be done to help ensure this happens. Good consultation and liaison can help make sure that all-important issues are considered in management and that management plans will be supported.

(iv) the policies and protocols to ensure that Indigenous people participate in the management process;

Plans for places that have, or potentially have, heritage values that are significant to Indigenous people should describe the framework and processes to be used to facilitate the participation of Indigenous people in the management planning process and the management of the place.

(v) protocols for the management of sensitive information;

To identify and protect sensitive information, you may need to establish and document administrative arrangements in consultation with the relevant stakeholder group. See also (b) above.

Sensitive information may, for example, relate to specific cultural practices and/or information known to Indigenous people, or may refer to high security information about Defence facilities.

(vi) planning and management of works, development, adaptive reuse and property divestment proposals;

Although it may not always be possible to predict future circumstances, it is in the interests of Commonwealth agencies to anticipate future events and operational requirements (see (g) above). There should be policies to assess such events and to manage their potential impacts on heritage values. Management policies should be consistent with the Burra Charter and/or Australian Natural Heritage Charter. It should be noted that the Act includes provisions for the protection of Commonwealth Heritage values of places sold or leased (s.341ZE).

(vii) how unforeseen discoveries or disturbance of heritage are to be managed;

Management plans should explain the processes that will be used to manage unforeseen discoveries or disturbance of heritage, including mitigation and rehabilitation, regeneration or conservation as appropriate (see Burra Charter and Australian Natural Heritage Charter for further guidance). Unforeseen discoveries may include the emergence of information on potential threats to the Commonwealth Heritage values or new information about the nature of those values. A policy may be included for the preparation of heritage impact statements if future events affect the Commonwealth Heritage values.

As noted under (d) above, the Act provides for discovered or lost heritage values to be considered for inclusion or exclusion as Commonwealth Heritage values of the Commonwealth Heritage place. Access, potential sensitivities, security and stakeholder consultation should be considered.

(viii) how, and under what circumstances, heritage advice is to be obtained;

The management plan should include a policy on how a Commonwealth agency intends to obtain access to conservation advice and who to contact. Conservation and heritage advice can be provided through consultancies with the appropriate expertise or by employing specialist technical expertise in-house.

Conservation and heritage advice often involves specialised disciplines. Heritage agencies can often provide information on the type of assistance most suitable to the task and where such services may be obtained.

(ix) how the condition of Commonwealth Heritage values is to be monitored and reported;

Management plans must include appropriate monitoring procedures for reporting on the condition of a Commonwealth Heritage place and the retention of its values. These procedures should provide for the detection and evaluation of incremental change (See (c) and (e)). The plan should identify who is responsible for monitoring and reporting and for acting on this information.

A program of regular inspections to detect change will be useful for agencies in keeping their heritage register up to date, as required under s.341ZB for a heritage strategy.

(x) how records of intervention and maintenance of a heritage places register are kept;

Procedures should be established to ensure that any intervention to a place that may be relevant to the conservation of its Commonwealth Heritage values (e.g. maintenance, regeneration, preservation, restoration, reconstruction, adaptation and interpretation) is recorded and that this information is included in the agency's heritage register.

This may be achieved through a database of the plan's policies linked to a works program and regularly updated as actions are progressively undertaken and completed.

A prompt to amend the agency's heritage register should be included.

(xi) research, training and resources needed to improve management;

A management plan should identify the resources required for research, education and training to ensure that knowledge, management and technical skills are available to allow improved management and to meet the objectives of the management plan.

(xii) how heritage values are to be interpreted and promoted;

A management plan should include processes for creating both staff and public awareness of the Commonwealth Heritage values of the place and measures they can take to protect them. The accessibility of heritage values and need for interpretation/ promotion plans may need to be considered.

(i) Include an implementation plan.

The purpose of this provision is to ensure that management plans include an implementation plan.

The implementation plan should include information about:

The implementation plan can also include a list of 'do's and don'ts' for place users and managers.

(j) Show how the implementation of policies will be monitored.

The purpose of this provision is to ensure that management plans become documents that are used or referred to regularly.

The management plan should outline a monitoring program, which should include indicators, milestones and other measures needed to evaluate the effectiveness of the management objectives and policies. Monitoring should provide information that will be useful in reviewing the management of the heritage values.

There may be a range of different methods for monitoring implementation of policies and these will be determined based on the complexity of the place, the place management structure and its resources.

(k) Show how the management plan will be reviewed.

The purpose of this provision is to ensure that the management plan for a Commonwealth Heritage place is reviewed at least once in every five years.

A management plan must describe how the plan will be reviewed.

The review should include:

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