AHIMS (Aboriginal Heritage Information Management System)
AHIMS is the NSW database of recorded Aboriginal object sites. A free basic search (200 m buffer, valid 12 months) supports the due diligence defence under the NPW Act.
Ask Chalkline about this →AHIMS (the Aboriginal Heritage Information Management System) is the NSW government’s database of recorded Aboriginal object sites and Aboriginal Places, maintained by Heritage NSW. Before disturbing soil on undeveloped land, a builder runs a basic AHIMS search covering a 200 m buffer around the site; the basic search is free and the result is valid for 12 months. For example, a builder planning earthworks for a new house on a bush block runs an AHIMS search at DA stage to see whether any Aboriginal objects are recorded near the lot.
An AHIMS search is the principal way to build the due diligence defence under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 (NSW), which protects a person who harms an Aboriginal object only if they took all reasonable and practicable measures to avoid the harm. Two traps follow:
- A nil result is not clearance. AHIMS shows only recorded sites, and unrecorded sites carry the same legal protection. On landforms with heritage indicators (proximity to waterways, undisturbed ground, known patterns of occupation), commission a heritage survey regardless of the database result.
- An old search goes stale. Searches are valid for 12 months and new sites are recorded continuously, so re-run AHIMS before each DA lodgement rather than relying on a clear result from a prior year.
If objects are recorded near the site or are likely to be harmed, an Aboriginal Heritage Impact Permit (AHIP) is required before work proceeds. See Aboriginal cultural heritage in planning for the AHIP process and the equivalent regimes in other states.
Also known as: AHIMS search, NSW Aboriginal heritage database search.
Category: Heritage / Planning and approvals.
Related
See also
References
- National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 (NSW) (verified 2026-05-23)
- Heritage NSW: AHIMS (Aboriginal Heritage Information Management System) (verified 2026-05-23)
Last updated: 2026-05-30. Verified: 2026-05-23. Quarterly review for currency.