Conservation Management Plan
Conservation Management Plan (CMP) refers to a comprehensive report that is prepared to provide guidance for the ongoing management of a place, with the primary objective of conserving its historic cultural heritage values. Dr James Kerr describes a CMP as "a document which sets out what is significant in a place and, consequently, what policies are appropriate to enable that significance to be retained in its future use and development. For most places, it deals with the management of change" (Kerr J, The Conservation Plan, 2000).
The Tasmanian Heritage Council may, on occasion, recommend or require a CMP to be prepared or updated to guide current or future works to a place on the Tasmanian Heritage Register. Engaging a suitably qualified cultural heritage practitioner is recommended. For names of heritage practitioners who may be able to assist you to prepare a CMP visit the Heritage Services Directory. More general information on CMPs is available here, or email Heritage Tasmania for advice.
The Conservation Plan should be carried out in accordance with guidelines and principles of:
An Information Guide to Conservation Management Plans, from State Heritage Office of Western Australia, provides a good overview.
Heritage Impact Statement
Heritage Impact Statement (HIS) refers to a report that determines whether a proposed development will impact on a place's historic cultural heritage values, and if so, how these impacts might be avoided or ameliorated. A HIS is a clear account of the proposed work that addresses four basic questions: (i) what is significant about the place in terms of its heritage values and are some part more significant than others?; (ii) will the proposed works adversely affect the significance and if so how?; (iii) what measures, if any, are proposed to avoid or ameliorate any adverse impacts; and (iv) will the proposal result in any heritage conservation benefits that might offset any adverse impacts? (Refer to our publication - Preparing Heritage Impact Statements)
The preparation of a HIS may, at times, be requested by the Tasmanian Heritage Council in order to provide the information needed to make a proper assessment of a proposal. The process of preparing a HIS will assist the owner of a registered place to follow a logical process when developing proposals for changes to that place, provide better outcomes for heritage conservation, and help the broader community to understand the proposal's underlying rationale. It will also help the Tasmanian Heritage Council as it makes its assessment and decision, allowing the Council to understand the proposal and the steps that have been taken to mitigate impacts. Proposals that potentially have a greater impact on the cultural significance of a place may require a more thorough and detailed HIS (taking into account that some small works can have significant heritage impacts, whereas some large developments may have low impacts).
A number of other Australian state heritage authorities have produced guidelines for preparing a Heritage Impact Statement (in some cases referred to as a 'Heritage Impact Assessment' or a 'Statement of Heritage Impact'). These are available online, including Heritage Impact Statement - A Guide, by the State Heritage Office of Western Australia.