The Heritage Council of Victoria is an independent statutory body that makes decisions about the inclusion of places in the Victorian Heritage Register and the Heritage Inventory, and conducts reviews of the Executive Director’s decisions relating to permits, archaeological consents and nomination refusals.
If you would like to nominate a place or object for the Victorian Heritage Register or make changes to a registered place or object you will need to apply to Heritage Victoria, a part of the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning.
Please note the Heritage Act 2017 commences on 1 November. Registrations and permit appeal processes which began under the Heritage Act 1995 will continue to be governed by that legislation from 1 November. Any review or hearing processes that begin after 1 November will be governed by the Heritage Act 2017.
In accordance with section 41 of the Heritage Act 2017, recommendations are made to the Heritage Council of Victoria by the Executive Director, Heritage Victoria on a frequent basis. See the latest recommendations here.
Archaeological Consent Reviews are conducted by the Heritage Council so that consent applicants or owners or custodians who are dissatisfied with a decision by the Executive Director, Heritage Victoria on an archaeological consent can have a third party review the decision.
Nomination Reviews provide an opportunity for nominators dissatisfied with a decision by the Executive Director to refuse a nomination to have that decision reviewed.
Any review or hearing processes that begins after 1 November 2017 will be governed by the Heritage Act 2017. The below protocols outline the usual process Council will follow when conducting these hearings and reviews.
Registration Hearings are public processes that allow interested people to present their views on whether or not a place or object is added to the Victorian Heritage Register or an existing registration is amended.
Permit reviews are conducted by the Heritage Council so that owners or custodians who are dissatisfied with a decision about a permit to alter a heritage place or object can challenge that decision and present their case in person.