Heritage consultant
Heritage consultant is a qualified practitioner who prepares Heritage Impact Statements, Conservation Management Plans, and heritage advice for DAs.
Ask Chalkline about this →A heritage consultant is a qualified practitioner specialising in assessing and managing the heritage significance of buildings, sites, and places, and in preparing the documents that planning authorities require for development affecting heritage. The consultant’s role spans state-listed properties (under the State Heritage Register) and locally-listed properties (under council LEP schedules) plus the broader category of buildings of social or aesthetic significance even where not formally listed.
Typical deliverables:
| Document | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Heritage Impact Statement (HIS) | Submitted with a DA on a listed property; assesses how the proposed work affects heritage values |
| Conservation Management Plan (CMP) | Long-form document for state-listed properties; sets long-term management policies |
| Heritage Advice Letter | Short-form opinion before lodging a DA; identifies likely heritage objections |
| Statement of Heritage Significance | Establishes why a property has heritage value, used in listing applications or contested-listing cases |
| Heritage Interpretation Plan | For projects retaining and presenting heritage elements to the public |
Where the consultant fits in the project timeline:
- Pre-design (recommended): consultant reviews the property and identifies heritage constraints before the architect draws concepts. Saves the most cost and rework.
- Concept design: consultant provides written advice on design moves likely to be acceptable.
- DA preparation: consultant prepares the HIS or CMP for inclusion in the DA package.
- DA assessment: consultant responds to council or Heritage Council RFIs and may attend pre-DA meetings.
- Construction: consultant attends critical-stage inspections where the work touches heritage fabric, and signs off compliance with conditions.
Qualifications and accreditation:
- Most heritage consultants are architects, planners, or historians with post-graduate qualifications in heritage conservation (e.g. Master of Built Heritage).
- Heritage NSW, Heritage Victoria, and equivalent state agencies maintain lists of accredited heritage consultants that can be checked before engagement.
- Australia ICOMOS (the International Council on Monuments and Sites) sets the professional standard (Burra Charter) that heritage practitioners work to.
Typical fees:
| Deliverable | Indicative fee (AUD ex-GST) |
|---|---|
| Heritage Advice Letter (short pre-DA) | $1,500 to $3,500 |
| HIS for a residential alteration on a locally-listed item | $3,000 to $8,000 |
| HIS for a state-listed item | $6,000 to $20,000 |
| CMP for a state-listed property | $20,000 to $60,000+ |
| Hourly consulting | $250 to $450/hr |
Common builder defects on heritage projects without a consultant:
- DA refused on heritage grounds; project stalls for 3 to 6 months while the builder retro-fits a heritage strategy.
- Original-fabric demolition begins before approval; statutory penalties and reinstatement orders.
- Modern materials substituted without heritage approval; rectification at the builder’s cost.
Also known as: heritage architect (where the practitioner is also a registered architect); heritage adviser; heritage planner; conservation consultant.
Category: Trades & professions.
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Last updated: 2026-05-16. Verified: 2026-05-16. Quarterly review for currency.