4. CULTURAL HERITAGE MANAGEMENT PLANS

What is a Cultural Heritage
Management Plan?
A Cultural Heritage Management Plan
(CHMP) assesses whether a project
will have any impact on Aboriginal
cultural heritage values and, as
appropriate, outlines management
recommendations.
Preparation of a CHMP involves a
cultural heritage advisor (an
archaeologist or heritage specialist)
working with Aboriginal community
representatives to identify and assess
cultural heritage values in relation to a
proposed development or activity.
If a CHMP is required under Section
46 of the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006
a planning permit cannot be issued
until a CHMP has been approved by
the Registered Aboriginal Party (RAP)
or Aboriginal Affairs Victoria (AAV).
It is important to note that a CHMP is
required when all of the above
requirements are satisfied.
Area of Sensitivity
Areas of cultural heritage sensitivity
are landforms and land categories that
are generally regarded as more likely
to contain Aboriginal cultural heritage.
The maps provided on the Aboriginal
Affairs Victoria (AAV) website
(www.aboriginalaffairs.vic.gov.au)
provide a guide as to whether or not
your land is within an area of cultural
heritage sensitivity. If your land is
indicated as being within one of these
areas, then you may require a CHMP.
Land that is also considered as being
sensitive for cultural heritage and
triggering a CHMP is:
Registered Aboriginal Party

A RAP is the voice of Aboriginal
people in the management and
protection of Aboriginal cultural
heritage at the local level. RAPs have
responsibilities relating to the
management of Aboriginal cultural
heritage under the Aboriginal Heritage
Act 2006, which include evaluating
Cultural Heritage Management Plans.

When is a CHMP required?
A CHMP is required for an activity if:


all or part of the activity area
for the activity is in an area of
cultural heritage sensitivity;
all or part of the activity is a
high impact activity; and
there has been no previous
significant ground disturbance.
land within 200 metres of a
named watercourse
land containing a registered
aboriginal site (this can be
checked on the AAV website)
High Impact Activity
Under regulation 47 of the Aboriginal
Heritage Regulation 2007 the
cnstruction of a building or the
construction or carrying out works
within an Alpine Resort is a high
impact activity if it would result in
significant ground disturbance.
Significant Ground Disturbance
Significant ground disturbance is
defined as disturbance of:


the topsoil or surface rock layer of
the ground; or
a waterway
by machinery in the course of grading,
excavating, digging, dredging, or deep
ripping, but does not include ploughing
(other then deep ripping).
deep ripping means the ploughing of
soil using a ripper or subsoil cultivation
tool to a depth of 60 centimetres or
more.
For additional information on the
definition of ‘significant ground
disturbance’ and the evidence required
to prove disturbance please refer the
following practice note - Aboriginal
Heritage Act 2006 Practice Note:
Significant Ground Disturbance
(http://www.aboriginalaffairs.vic.gov.au
/web7/AAVMain.nsf/allDocs/RWPE8B
9F0152414EB06CA2574A60024A479
?OpenDocument)
For further information and
confirmation of whether a CHMP is
required for a particular development,
please contact Aboriginal Affairs
Victoria on
aboriginal.affairs@dpcd.vic.gov.au or
(03) 9208 3333 (DPCD switchboard)
or 1300 366 356 (Information Victoria
call centre).