State Heritage Register
State Heritage Registers are statutory lists of state-significant places under each state's Heritage Act. Listed places need state heritage approval before any DA.
Ask Chalkline about this →The State Heritage Register in each Australian state is the statutory list of places of cultural, historical, or architectural significance to the whole state, maintained under that state’s Heritage Act. Properties listed on a State Heritage Register are subject to separate state-level approval requirements that sit on top of (and in some cases override) the standard council DA pathway under the EP&A Act or equivalent state planning regime (verified 2026-05-16).
State by state:
| State | Register name | Statute | Approving authority |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | State Heritage Register | Heritage Act 1977 (NSW) | Heritage Council of NSW, via Heritage NSW |
| VIC | Victorian Heritage Register | Heritage Act 2017 (Vic) | Heritage Council Victoria, via Heritage Victoria |
| QLD | Queensland Heritage Register | Queensland Heritage Act 1992 (Qld) | Queensland Heritage Council |
| WA | State Register of Heritage Places | Heritage Act 2018 (WA) | Heritage Council of Western Australia |
| SA | South Australian Heritage Register | Heritage Places Act 1993 (SA) | SA Heritage Council |
| TAS | Tasmanian Heritage Register | Historic Cultural Heritage Act 1995 (Tas) | Tasmanian Heritage Council |
| NT | Heritage Register | Heritage Act 2011 (NT) | NT Heritage Council |
| ACT | ACT Heritage Register | Heritage Act 2004 (ACT) | ACT Heritage Council |
State Heritage Register vs council-listed heritage:
| Feature | State Heritage Register | Local heritage item (council LEP) |
|---|---|---|
| Source | State Heritage Council | Council LEP heritage schedule |
| Significance threshold | State-wide significance | Local significance |
| Approval pathway | State approval (Section 60 NSW Heritage Act) plus council DA | Council DA only with HIS |
| Listing density | Rare (few hundred places per state typically) | Common (dozens per council area) |
| Demolition prohibition | Effective prohibition; very rarely approved | Subject to merit assessment |
Builder action when a property is state-listed:
- Check the title for a heritage covenant or restriction.
- Engage a heritage architect or consultant with state-heritage-listing experience; this is not a job for a generalist architect.
- Prepare the Heritage Impact Statement (HIS) for the state heritage authority, not just for council.
- Lodge an application under the relevant Heritage Act (e.g. Section 60 in NSW) in addition to or before the council DA.
- Expect long timeframes: state heritage approvals routinely take 4 to 12 months and may impose substantial conditions.
- Budget heritage premium: state-listed renovation routinely costs 1.5 to 3x equivalent non-listed work due to material, method, and consultant overlays.
Common builder defects on state-heritage projects:
- Standard residential builder takes the job without recognising the state listing; council DA refused on heritage grounds; project stalls.
- Modern materials substituted for original-period materials without approval; rectification required, expensive.
- Demolition started on element listed in the register; statutory penalties and court orders to reinstate.
Also known as: SHR; state heritage list; gazettal under the Heritage Act.
Category: Approvals.
Related
See also
Last updated: 2026-05-16. Verified: 2026-05-16. Quarterly review for currency.