The department’s Cultural Heritage Unit administers the following Acts:
The main purpose of the Cultural Heritage Acts is to provide effective recognition, protection and conservation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural heritage.
Our Cultural Heritage Unit helps land users and Traditional Owners protect and manage cultural heritage.
Learn more about how to comply with Queensland’s cultural heritage laws.
The department is finalising the review of the Cultural Heritage Acts, which is examining whether the legislation:
The department released an options paper (PDF, 5.1 MB) options paper(DOCX, 1.2 MB) in December 2021, inviting feedback from Queenslanders on proposed changes to the Cultural Heritage Acts.
The proposals built on feedback from previous stages of the review and focused on three key areas:
Consultation closed on 31 March 2022, with more than 430 responses received through written submissions and online surveys. The department would like to thank all those who provided feedback and contributed to the review.
The responses, together with recent national, state and territory developments, will guide and inform the next steps to make sure the Cultural Heritage Acts provide strong, effective protection for our state’s rich cultural heritage and work well for the benefit of all Queenslanders. Further information about outcomes of the review and next steps is expected to be available later in 2023.
Click a heading below to see more information.
Submissions made on proposals in the 2021 options paper are set out below.
The review began in 2019 but was paused in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2019, the department:
Stakeholders were invited to make a submission on the matters raised in the consultation paper, or on other issues (see Stakeholder submissions in 2019).
In 2020, the department undertook targeted consultation on legislative proposals with stakeholders who provided submissions in response to the 2019 consultation paper.
Submissions from stakeholders in response to the 2019 consultation paper are set out below.
The Cultural Heritage Online Portal allows any member of the public to view information recorded in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural heritage register.
Download the online portal user satisfaction review (DOCX, 338 KB).
For more information on cultural heritage legislation, contact the Cultural Heritage Unit:
P: 1300 378 401
E: cultural.heritage@dsdsatsip.qld.gov.au
For enquiries about the Cultural Heritage Acts review and public consultation:
P: 1800 469 166
E: CHA_Review@dsdsatsip.qld.gov.au
Last reviewed:12 November 2024
Last modified:12 November 2024
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence
We pay our respects to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ancestors of this land, their spirits and their legacy. The foundations laid by these ancestors—our First Nations peoples—give strength, inspiration and courage to current and future generations towards creating a better Queensland.
We will respect, protect and promote human rights within our decision-making and actions.
