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Cultural Heritage Plans (CHMP)

Cultural Heritage Management Plans (CHMPs) are a way of protecting and managing Aboriginal cultural heritage while allowing development to proceed.

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Cultural Heritage Management Plans (CHMPs) are a way of protecting and managing Aboriginal cultural heritage while allowing development to proceed. If a CHMP is required, a planning permit cannot be issued until the CHMP has been prepared and approved by the relevant Registered Aboriginal Party.

A Cultural Heritage Management Plan is required if:

all or part of the subject of the proposed development is in an area of cultural heritage sensitivity – land within 200m of a named waterway - that has not previously been significantly disturbed; and
all or part of the activity is a high impact activity. Examples of high impact activities include certain construction or building works and subdivisions into three or more lots if a dwelling may be constructed on each of the lots.

A Cultural Heritage Management Plan is not required for exempt activities, such as building alterations, demolitions or removals; extensions to a dwelling; construction of one or two dwellings; construction of buildings ancillary to a dwelling such as a storage shed, garage, pool, fence or water tank; certain emergency works; subdivision of an existing building; sea–bed development and minor works.

To find out if your property is located in a cultural heritage sensitivity area, create a Planning Property Report by using the DPCD planning maps service.

Aboriginal Heritage Planning Tool

A simple way in which to check whether a Cultural Heritage Management Plan is required for a proposed activity is to use the Aboriginal heritage planning tool and follow the prompts.

The following guidance notes may be found at the Department of Premier and Cabinet website: