Culture and heritage

Management projects

The Heritage Assets Revitalisation Program (HARP) aims to showcase historic heritage in the NSW parks and reserves system as living heritage through the conservation and revitalisation of significant and diverse historic heritage places.

HARP strengthens the way historic heritage places connect with local communities, promote environmental sustainability and embrace opportunities associated with heritage tourism.

HARP assists with historic heritage asset planning and works projects, encompassing built heritage items, archaeological sites, cultural heritage landscapes and movable heritage collections within NSW National Parks and reserves.

HARP objectives include:

  • enhance and conserve the heritage significance of the place or object;
  • relate to the revitalisation of cultural or natural landscapes in which heritage conservation will play a key role;
  • enable OEH to showcase heritage places that are economically, socially and environmentally sustainable;
  • support more people using parks, sporting and recreational facilities and participating in the arts and cultural activity;
  • are identified as a priority;
  • enable implementation of works that are directed at increasing the use, enjoyment and / or viability of a place;
  • demonstrate well-researched, achievable long-term outcomes;
  • demonstrate local community support and / or will enhance local community support; and
  • have been subject to a cost analysis.

Conservation management plans

Under HARP and the former Heritage Assets Maintenance Program (HAMP), conservation management plans have been prepared for many places, including:

Conservation works

Under HARP and the former Heritage Assets Maintance Program (HAMP), conservation works have been carried out on many places including:

Documents to download


Conservation management and cultural tourism plan for NPWS lighthouses
Download this plan, which explains how the NPWS will protect the cultural heritage values of the historic lighthouses it manages, while still giving people the opportunity to enjoy these powerful monuments.

Dharug National Park - Old Great North Road draft conservation management plan
On public exhibition to 25 June 2004.

Garigal National Park - draft conservation management plan for Bantry Bay Explosives Magazine Complex
On public exhibition until 2 October 2002.

Hill End Historic Site - master plan
This plan which will inform and drive the current and future management of the site as a 'living community'. Adopted September 2003.

Kinchega National Park - conservation management plan for former pastoral station sites
Adopted September 2002.

Kosciuszko National Park - Currango Historic Precinct draft conservation management and interpretation plan
On public exhibition until 16 April 2004.

Kosciuszko National Park huts - draft strategy
On public exhibition to 17 June 2005.

Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park - draft landscape plan for Barrenjoey Lighthouse
On public exhibition to 26 February 2004.

Mimosa Rocks National Park - conservation management plan for the Penders site
This plan guides the management of 'Penders', the holiday retreat of architect Roy Grounds and Ken Myer, which is now part of Mimosa Rocks National Park. Download a copy.

Mungo National Park - historic heritage plan
Mungo National Park lies on the site of two old pastoral stations. Download the conservation management and cultural tourism plan for the park's wealth of historic heritage.

Myall Lakes National Park - Sugarloaf Point Lighthouse - draft conservation management plan
Download and comment on this draft plan, which outlines NPWS plans to manage this historic lighthouse for recreation and tourism whilst maintaining the integrity of the site.

Oxley Wild Rivers National Park - history of Youdales Hut
Youdales Hut is a slab-sided mustering hut, built in Oxley Wild Rivers National Park around 1941. This publication is a thematic history and conservation assessment of the hut, drawing from archival material, oral information and other sources.

Quarantine Station
Download these plans, which set the direction for the management of the North Head Quarantine Station in Sydney Harbour National Park.

Rebuilding of Paton's Hut - draft plan
On public exhibition to 16/11/2007.

Royal National Park - cabins conservation management plan
There are around 200 historic cabins in Royal National Park, occupied for short-term recreational use. Download this plan, which guides NPWS policy development for the cabins.

Royal National Park - proposed boatramp at Bonnie Vale
Includes the review of environmental factors, heritage impact statement and conservation management plan related to this proposal. Adopted May 2001.

Sydney Harbour National Park - Quarantine Station conservation management plan
Adopted 2000. Download this plan, which sets the direction for conservation of the North Head Quarantine Station in Sydney Harbour National Park.

Sydney Harbour National Park - Quarantine Station detailed area conservation management plan
Adopted 2001. This is the second in a series of documents which aim to help determine the cultural significance and management strategies for the Quarantine Station at North Head. Download the plan.

World Heritage Nomination - Australian convict sites including the Old Great North Road
The Australian Government, in partnership with state and territory governments, is preparing a nomination for World Heritage listing of 11 of Australia's convict sites. The part of the Old Great North Road in Dharug National Park is one of four sites in New South Wales included in the nomination.

Page last updated: 15 August 2012