Victorian Consolidated Legislation

Heritage Act 1995 - SECT 8

Functions of the Heritage Council

8. Functions of the Heritage Council



(1) The functions of the Heritage Council are-

   (a)  to advise the Minister on the state of Victoria's cultural heritage
        resources and on any steps necessary to protect and conserve them;

   (b)  to promote public understanding of Victoria's cultural heritage and
        develop and conduct community information and education programs;

   (ba) to adopt, and forward to the Minister, World Heritage Strategy Plans
        and amendments to World Heritage Strategy Plans;

   (c)  to develop, revise and publish from time to time the assessment
        criteria to be used in considering the cultural heritage significance
        of places and objects and determining whether those places or objects
        warrant inclusion in the Heritage Register;

   (d)  to add places or objects to the Heritage Register;

   (e)  to remove places or objects from the Heritage Register, or to amend
        the registration of a place or object;

   (f)  to hear appeals against decisions of the Executive Director relating
        to permits and applications for permits for undertakings or works
        affecting a registered place or registered object;

   (g)  to advise government departments and agencies and municipal councils
        on matters relating to the protection and conservation of places and
        objects of cultural heritage significance;

   (h)  to advise the Minister administering the
        Planning and Environment Act 1987 on proposed amendments to planning
        schemes which may affect the protection or conservation of places and
        objects of cultural heritage significance;

        (i)    to liaise with other bodies responsible for matters relating to
               the protection, conservation, management and promotion of
               Victoria's cultural heritage;



   (j)  to initiate and undertake programs of research related to the
        identification, conservation or interpretation of Victoria's cultural
        heritage;

   (k)  to report annually to the Minister on-

   (i)  the carrying out of its functions under this Act; and

   (ii) the state of Victoria's cultural heritage; and

   (iii) the operation of this Act;

   (l)  to provide the Minister annually with a business plan of its proposed
        works and operations for the next year;

   (m)  to carry out any other functions conferred on the Heritage Council
        under this Act or any other Act.

(2) In determining assessment criteria for inclusion of places and objects in
the Heritage Register under section 8(1)(c), the Heritage Council should have
regard to the following matters-

   (a)  historical importance, association with or relationship to Victoria's
        history;

   (b)  good design or aesthetic characteristics;

   (c)  scientific or technical innovations or achievements;

   (d)  social or cultural associations;

   (e)  potential to educate, illustrate or provide further scientific
        investigation in relation to Victoria's cultural heritage;

   (f)  importance in exhibiting a richness, diversity or unusual integration
        of features;

   (g)  rarity or uniqueness of a place or object;

   (h)  the representative nature of a place or object as part of a class or
        type of places or objects;

        (i)    methods of establishing the extent to which land or objects
               nominated for inclusion in the Heritage Register in association
               with a registered place or a place nominated for inclusion, are
               integral to the cultural heritage significance of the place;

   (j)  any other matter which is relevant to the determination of cultural
        heritage significance.