Integrated National Heritage Policy

Council has an integrated national heritage policy which covers natural, Indigenous and historic heritage issues, and involves the Commonwealth and all State/Territory governments.

The aim of this policy is to:

• clarify the roles and responsibilities of each level of government in relation to the
  identification, management, protection and promotion of Australia’s natural and
  cultural heritage places;
• develop performance measures for heritage conservation;
• develop a national strategy to promote sustainable heritage tourism opportunities;
• develop common approaches to data collection, storage and use across all
  jurisdictions; and
• adopt a national approach to the development of heritage incentives and innovative
  policy tools.

Three taskforces comprising State/Territory and Commonwealth officials undertook the development of the following components of the policy.

Taskforce 1: clarifying roles and responsibilities, performance measures for heritage conservation and common standards for data collection, storage and use.

Taskforce 2: a national strategy to promote sustainable heritage tourism.

Taskforce 3: heritage incentives and innovative policy tools.