A Parliamentary inquiry into the Heritage Act 1977 (the Heritage Act) was held in 2021.
- In May 2021, the heritage legislative framework was referred to the Legislative Council Standing Committee on Social Issues for review and report.
- In October 2021, the Legislative Council’s Standing Committee on Social Issues published the report of its Inquiry into the Heritage Act.
- The NSW Government is currently considering how to implement the inquiry findings and recommendations to ensure the NSW heritage system meets the needs of coming decades.
The inquiry looked at the effectiveness of the Heritage Act and the NSW heritage regulatory system, along with heritage aspects of the Environmental Protection and Assessment Act 1979. The Standing Committee review provided an opportunity for all key stakeholders and the broader community to have their say on government heritage policy, through over 300 public submissions and through 5 days of public hearings.
While noting that the intent of the Heritage Act is generally sound, the Standing Committee recommended 26 reforms to improve its operation and system more widely, to be more responsive to the needs of heritage owners and to deliver improved heritage conservation outcomes.
Next steps
To respond to the recommendations of the Standing Committee, the NSW Government is considering how to implement the review’s findings to ensure the NSW heritage system meets the needs of coming decades.
Contact us in writing if you have questions.