The History Council of NSW believes heritage is a vital way that communities find connections with their histories and the past, helping to create and reinforce a sense of identity and place.

Recent activities

Heritage Amendment Bill 2009

On 13 May 2009, the NSW Minister for Planning announced the Heritage Amendment Bill 2009 which will implement many of the changes recommended in the Heritage Act Review Report. Click here to access the Minister's Agreement in Principle Speech.

The History Council of NSW wrote to all Members of Parliament urging them to consider the role of history in heritage. This Bill was passed on 3 June 2009. The History Council of NSW is concerned that the changes to the Heritage Act will result in serious threats to heritage in NSW.  

Heritage Act Review 2007-08

In July 2007, the NSW Minister for Planning, Frank Sartor announced a review of the Heritage Act. The review was conducted by then Liverpool City Council Administrator Gabrielle Kibble and NSW Heritage Council Chair Michael Collins. The History Council of NSW provided a submission to the review panel that highlighted the importance of history and historians in the heritage assessment process and urged the government to retain history representation on the Heritage Council.In March 2008 the NSW Government released the Report of the Independent Expert Panel review of the Heritage Act. This report was written in December 2007. Click here to access the full report.