The Aboriginal Heritage Information Management System (AHIMS) Web Services (AWSS) is moving to a new web address.
The migration will occur on 24 September 2026. The new link will be https://www.awss.heritage.nsw.gov.au
Please update your saved links and bookmarks.
Use your current username and password to log in.
The Aboriginal Heritage Information Management System (AHIMS) contains over 126,000 records and information collectively referred to as Aboriginal 'sites' in the database.
How to search in AHIMS
To search the Aboriginal Heritage Information Management System (AHIMS), you need to register for an account.
The link below will open in a new browser tab.
Select ‘Create account’ and follow the steps.
Link your user account to an organisation
You can link your AHIMS user account to your organisation (if applicable) before you start searching.
If you are not searching on behalf of an organisation, skip this step.
After logging in, select 'My Organisations' in the left-hand menu and then select 'Search and add'. Follow these steps to link your account to your organisation:
- Under 'Search criteria', enter all or part of the organisation's name.
- Select 'Search'.
- Select your organisation from the search results.
- Contact the listed organisation’s primary contact. These details will appear in red above the 'Search criteria' box, and ask them to link your account.
You can begin searching once your account is linked.
If you need help or your organisation does not appear in the list, send an email to [email protected].
Use AHIMS for due diligence
AHIMS is an important tool for identifying known Aboriginal sites and helping to inform land-use planning, development and conservation activities.
Developers, consultants, government agencies and landholders often use AHIMS before preparing and submitting planning proposals, development applications or Aboriginal heritage impact permits.
AHIMS searches help to:
- identify known Aboriginal sites within a project area
- assess and understand potential impacts on Aboriginal cultural heritage
- inform planning and assessment processes
- support Aboriginal cultural heritage assessments.
If you are proposing activities that may harm Aboriginal sites, see Harm to Aboriginal objects and places.
What you can do in AHIMS
Search records
To search you will need:
- a location or address
- map coordinates, such as longitude and latitude, or
- a specific map area.
There are tips in AHIMS to help with doing different types of searches.
Contact us if you need help doing searches in AHIMS.
Request information
Some records include additional information, such as:
- site cards
- archaeological reports, also known as cultural heritage assessment reports
- information available under an Aboriginal heritage information licence agreement.
You can request copies of this information through AHIMS.
Access current information
AHIMS is continually updated as new sites are recorded, reports are submitted and information is reviewed.
Fees and payment
Basic searches and access to the AHIMS archive are free.
Fees apply for:
- detailed searches
- requests for data
- site information
- other AHIMS services.
For a full list of fees and services, see List of fees.
Submit your request and pay online through AHIMS.
Note: You will need to enable pop-up windows in your browser.
Available payment methods include:
- credit card
- debit card
- BPAY
- PayID.
Once payment is processed, your requested information will be available to download.
Note: BPAY payments can take up to 3 days to process.
By default, AHIMS users can only pay for one request at a time.
To pay for multiple requests in a single transaction, contact us and we can enable this option on your account.
Email: [email protected]
If you are linked to an organisation in AHIMS, the organisation's 3 primary contacts can pay for multiple searches and requests in a single transaction.
Fee waivers are available in some circumstances.
There are 2 types of fee waiver:
- a recurring waiver – applies on an ongoing basis to eligible organisations or persons
- a one-time waiver – applies to a specific request and is assessed on a case-by-case basis.
Recurring waivers
A recurring waiver may be available if you are:
- an Aboriginal person
- an Aboriginal community organisation
- a student enrolled in a course related to Aboriginal cultural heritage. You will need to provide proof of current enrolment and be registered in AHIMS using your education provider's email address
- a government organisation conducting:
- emergency bush fire protection or hazard reduction work
- emergency work in response to a natural disaster or significant event
- compliance investigations relating to Aboriginal cultural heritage
- regulatory work under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974.
One-time waivers
A one-time waiver may be considered if:
- you are acting on behalf of an Aboriginal community and can demonstrate that costs will not be passed on to that community (a letter of support is required)
- you are undertaking a research project endorsed by an education provider
- you are undertaking work solely to improve AHIMS data quality, such as ground-truthing or correcting site information
- you have paid for services that could not be delivered due to a system or technical issue and require those services to be reissued
- you are experiencing financial hardship as defined in section 14 of the Revenue Collection and Debt Management Framework.
You are not eligible for a fee waiver if:
- you pass AHIMS fees on to clients or third parties
- you are requesting services for commercial purposes
- you are an Aboriginal person making a request as part of your employment in a non-Aboriginal organisation, including government agencies.
You can apply for a one-time fee waiver after completing your search and before making payment in AHIMS.
If approved, you will be able to access the requested information without payment.
If you already hold a recurring fee waiver, it will continue to apply after any future system updates.
List of fees
This table outlines AHIMS services and fees.
Aboriginal people, Aboriginal community organisations and some government agencies may be eligible for a fee waiver.
| AHIMS service | What the user receives | Fee (GST exempt) |
|---|---|---|
| Report or site card | PDF document(s) via email, usually after an AHIMS search | $0.40 per page (minimum charge $20 if not associated with a search service) |
| Archive visit | Access to AHIMS archive | Free |
| Archive visit – photocopy or PDF | Photocopy or PDF document(s) | $0.40 per page (minimum charge $20 if not associated with a search service) |
| Search – basic | Cover letter | Free |
| Search – extensive | PDF or Excel report, and cover letter | $60 |
| Search – Geospatial Information System (GIS) | PDF report | $60 |
| Express search surcharge | Service provided in 2 working days | $50 |
| Data request – Aboriginal heritage information licence agreement (AHILA) | Use of, or access to, data for up to 2 years | $210 |
| Data request – resupply of data from AHILA | Resupply of data based on current AHILA (includes the new search) | $60 |
| Other – processing surcharge | Specialist services that cannot be processed under normal service conditions | $90 per hour |