Australia ICOMOS Email News No 1118

Since the endorsement of the Australia ICOMOS “Reflect” Reconciliation Action Plan in September 2023, the RAP Working Group has been focused on embedding its aims into our organisational practices. There have been some early successes, such as

cultural awareness training,
sponsorship for Indigenous peoples’ attendance at the 2024 Symposium,
commencement of a Cultural Safety Policy, and
reviewing existing procedures, policies and membership categories to investigate ways to encourage Indigenous Peoples to join or support Australia ICOMOS through more mutually beneficial relationships and engagements.

However, there are some big aspirations that will require sustained attention and strategic consideration. The committee, in consultation with Reconciliation Australia, has agree to extend the life of the current RAP to allow the committee to continue working on those more ambitious targets throughout 2026.

Holly Maclean RAPWG Member

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ICOMOS MEMBERS

NEW AICOMOS 2025 Conference Website

The website for the recent national Australia ICOMOS conference – Our Shared Heritage: Un-Settling Ground will be unavailable after the 19 December in its current form.

We will endeavour to have an archive of the website, but this will not be possible until early 2026.

If there is any information you need to take from the website, please do so at your earliest.

Access website here – A-ICOMOS 2025

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NEW EOI: Young & Emerging Professionals Subcommittee

Expressions of interest are being sought from members who would like to join the Young and Emerging Professionals Subcommittee for 2026.

The subcommittee provides advice on matters affecting young and emerging professionals and helps promote networking, education, mentoring, and employment opportunities across our community.

We welcome members who are passionate about supporting and strengthening the next generation of heritage professionals and seek broad representation across all States and Territories.

To register your interest, please submit a copy of your CV and a brief statement outlining your interest in contributing to the work of this subcommittee to the Secretariat: austicomos@deakin.edu.au

EOI’s close Monday 12th January 2026.

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NEW NSW Members End of Year Event

An end of year gathering was held at Design 5 Architects in Chippendale on 4^th December with over 50 attendees. The President Caitlin Allen and NSW Rep Hendry Wan gave short speeches about some of the key challenges heritage practitioners are facing in NSW and how ICOMOS members can and should be a leading voice and a shining light in facing those challenges.

Many thanks to Alan Croker and his staff for hosting us. (Image Robert Gasparini -Design 5 – Architects)

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NEW AICOMOS Representation at the AAA-AIMA 2025 Conference

There was a strong Australia ICOMOS member presence at the recent AAA-AIMA 2025 conference held in Fremantle, Western Australia.

Australia ICOMOS Treasurer Mitchell Cleghorn presented a very well received paper on Proponent-Based Practice — a mode of heritage work that sits at the intersection of project delivery, cultural authority, and community outcomes. Congratulations Mitch!

Thanks to the organisers for providing us a booth that allowed us to share membership information and publications.

Our NSC on Rock Art also held their AGM adjacent to the conference. (Images supplied M Cleghorn)

Pictured above Mitch Cleghorn & the AICOMOS NSC Rock Art

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NEW We Want to Hear From Our Members!

If you are a member of Australia ICOMOS and have presented at a non AICOMOS conference or worked on an interesting project and would like to share we would love to hear from you! Our members work in many and varied facets of cultural heritage and as your membership organisation we would like to showcase some of your expertise and initiatives. If you would like to be included in an edition of our e news, please send a paragraph or two and a photo to our secretariat: austicomos@deakin.edu.au

Please note we cannot advertise individual businesses, this is purely to highlight our wonderful members.

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NEW Call for Expressions of Interest: ICOMOS Experts for International Heritage Projects

ICOMOS is seeking Expressions of Interest from ICOMOS members in order to expand and diversify its pool of experts contributing to its international heritage projects.

The main tasks of experts engaged in ICOMOS’ international projects include contributing to the project development and proposal submission, delivering ICOMOS’ project activities by carrying out assigned tasks and actions, providing input to achieve project deliverables and results, and collaborating with ICOMOS Headquarters on project reporting and communication.

For further information follow this link

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NEW ICOMOS Theophilos ISC Liège conference Videos

The video sessions for the recent Liège conference are now available to view on the Video page of the ICOMOS website: https://theophilos.icomos.org/video/

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INFORMATION ON NATIONAL AND STATE LEGISLATIVE REFORMS

Many of you will be aware of significant changes proposed to some of Australia’s key planning and environment laws, which have implications for heritage conservation processes and outcomes at the Commonwealth level and in Victoria and NSW. Some of these reforms have come upon us suddenly and with no public consultation. Others have provided mechanisms for public input.

Australia ICOMOS is closely monitoring these changes and where possible participating in consultation processes and making representations. This update is to provide information about currently proposed or recently enacted changes and where relevant to let you know how you can participate in public consultation.

ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION AND BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION ACT REFORMS BILL 2025

On 30 October the Commonwealth Minister for Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water Murray Watt, introduced a package of bills to reform the EPBC Act. This includes the EPBC Reform Bill 2025. This Bill addresses a few of the concerns, but not all, raised by the heritage industry during the consultation for the Samuel’s Review of the EPBC Act in 2020, which you can read here. Section 3 of the review is a useful reference point.

The Bill, which is likely to be supported with amendments in the Upper House this week, includes some changes that would improve the heritage provisions of the EPBC Act, including for National Heritage, not Commonwealth Heritage places:

amending boundaries;
listing non-contiguous areas of land as one place;
adding to or amending the official values;
name changes (such as adding Indigenous names);
fixing factual errors in existing listings;
terminating assessments which are ‘blocked’ (eg where Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) is unobtainable);
allowing for a call for nominations when the Minister determines (not necessarily ‘annually’).

The EPBC Act Reforms seek to reduce duplication and increase certainty for proponents. The current reform package represents a second attempt to legislate these commitments after earlier proposals stalled in 2024.

There are other reforms related to referral, development and approvals processes. Many of them focus on environmental protection and natural heritage, but some relate to cultural heritage, including:

the Environment Minister can make National Environmental Standards to help protect the environment, give businesses clear rules to follow, and make sure decisions are made fairly and consistently;
embeds First Nations involvement in assessment and planning processes, and in the development of Standards and bioregional plans;

establishment of a National Environment Protection Authority (NEPA) as an independent body responsible for producing State of the Environment (SOE) reports every two years. Providing the Minister, NEPA, and the public with access to high quality environmental information and data, while maintaining environmental economic accounts and a public register of national environmental information assets.
a new streamlined assessment process to replace three of the current environmental impact assessment pathways. Actions with ‘unacceptable impacts’ on protected matters will not be approved. The Minister will have the power to approve ‘national interest proposals’ (such as social housing and renewable energy projects) which do not have to strictly comply with the Standards;
establishes Environmental Information Australia as an independent body responsible for producing State of the Environment reports every two years. It will also provide the Minister, NEPA, and the public with access to high quality environmental information and data, while maintaining environmental economic accounts and a public register of national environmental information assets.

In the reform Bill, the relevant National Environmental Standard that impacts cultural heritage is about Matters of National Environmental Significance (MNES). You can read the standards here: National Environmental Standards – consultation documents. The draft was developed with input from stakeholders, but Australia ICOMOS was not included in these consultations, and this is something we will be addressing with the Commonwealth Minister.

The Minister’s media release and speech to the National Press Club on 30 October are here:

Making a submission

Public consultation is open for the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act reforms, with a deadline of December 5, 2025, for submissions to the Senate committee. You can find more information, including how to make a submission on the inquiry page.

Additionally, public consultation on the draft National Environmental Standards (NES) closes on January 30, 2026. You can make a submission here.

We encourage individual members to make their own submissions.

Although the Bill is likely to go through the Upper House this week, Australia ICOMOS will still be making a submission focussing on issues that need to be considered in implementation of the Bill.

If you are making a submission on the EPBC reform Bill or on the National Environmental Standards and would like us to be aware of the issues you have raised, please send your submission to Caitlin Allen – president.australia@icomos.org

We will circulate the Australia ICOMOS submissions to members as soon as they are completed.

VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT’S PLANNING AMENDMENT (BETTER DECISIONS MADE FASTER) BILL 2025

The Victorian Government’s Planning Amendment (Better Decisions Made Faster) Bill 2025, introduced to Parliament earlier this month, represents the culmination of a rapid reform agenda throughout the year.

Australia ICOMOS’ advocacy on these reforms has been consistent and evidence-based. In May 2025, we wrote to the Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny warning that new housing provisions (VC257) risked overriding protections for World Heritage environs and cautioned against “deemed to comply” standards that bypass heritage expertise. In August 2025, our submission on Local Heritage Criteria highlighted concerns, specifically the lack of reference to the Burra Charter and our view that the criteria could consider integrating Aboriginal and natural values into local heritage definitions.

Aspects of the new Bill exacerbates these established risks. Proposed reforms include:

a revised objective in Section 4(1)(h): “to conserve and enhance those buildings, areas and places that are historically, architecturally, culturally, aesthetically, scientifically or socially significant or otherwise of special significance”;
a 10-day determination pathway for planning applications;
introduction of three categories of low (single-dwelling), medium (low-rise- multi-residential and high (medium to high-rise multi-residential) complexity to decide how much consultation and review an amendment receives. The Minister can re-assign an amendment to a lower category. Mandatory notification will occur for high complexity projects (Stream 3) to the National Trust and Royal Historical Society;
the introduction of ‘deemed to comply standards’ for residential development;
the removal of Parliamentary oversight and third-party appeal rights.

Some elements will be achieved through the legislation, while others will be through the two-year implementation programme

We join leading industry voices including the Planning Institute of Australia (PIA) and Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV), as well as the National Trust of Australia (Victoria) and the Royal Historical Society of Victoria (RHSV) in advocating around aspects of the reforms that reduce transparency including expert and community inputs, establish approaches that undermine thoughtful and place-based planning, and introduce timeframes that are operationally challenging for Heritage Overlays, leaving no time for site visits, fabric analysis, or the negotiation or goo heritage outcomes. Australia ICOMOS’ latest representation on the reforms will be circulated to members once it is finalised.

NSW PLANNING SYSTEMS REFORM BILL 2025

The NSW government rapidly passed a Bill though Parliament in October with no public consultation, to substantially amend the NSW Environment Planning & Assessment Act. Many details of the implementation are yet to be finalised. Key changes include:

the revised EP&A Act establishes the NSW Development Coordination Authority (DCA). This will provide advice and approvals on Development Applications and planning proposals on behalf of all NSW Government agencies, instead of the current system where each relevant agency (including Heritage NSW) does its own independent assessment to the State and local planning authorities. The DCA will issue all concurrences, integrated development General Terms of Approval and referrals from one central point. It’s likely this will involve pulling heritage approvals staff out of Heritage NSW into this centralised authority.
the recently created Housing Delivery Authority has been enshrined in legislation;
community consultation will happen using statewide consultation plans rather than on individual applications. No detail on how this will work.
there will be a targeted a ‘Targeted Assessment Pathway’ (between full DA and Complying Development) where strategic planning and community consultation has already occurred.
proportionate assessment requirements will be introduced
there will be no more regional planning panels

In terms of the functions of the current heritage system:

there is no change planned to the Heritage Act for the moment, but this will inevitably come;
Heritage NSW/NSW Heritage Council will no longer provide general terms of approval for integrated development, advice on State significant projects or rezoning proposals, unless requested by the DCA.
once a development application has been determined by the DCA, any subsequent approvals under the NSW Heritage Act or National Parks and Wildlife Act have to be determined in line with the General Terms of Approval (GTAs) issue by DCA. This is similar to what happens now, the difference being that Heritage NSW/Heritage Council currently have the ability to issue GTAs that have to be taken into consideration in determining an Integrated Development Application.
the NSW Heritage Council Approval Committee may no longer exist as the majority of high impact approvals will run through the DCA.

There are still many unknowns, but there is significant risk relating to the quality of heritage advice and outcomes in this new system and of splintering co-ordination of heritage policy and approvals functions within the NSW Government. Now the Bill has passed, the new system will be implemented over the coming months. Many detailed aspects are yet to be determined.

NSW ABORIGINAL CULTURAL HERITAGE REFORM PROCESS

The latest attempt to reform the NSW Aboriginal Cultural Heritage system is progressing. Over the last few months, Australia ICOMOS has been pleased to participate in very productive stakeholder consultations on the Draft Aboriginal Heritage Bill 2025. These have been closed consultations on the draft with key stakeholders including community and industry bodies, but we anticipate the Bill will be made available for public consultation soon. We will update you when this happens.

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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS / GRANTS / NOMINATIONS / EOI

NEW Funding Opportunity at West Dean: Building Conservation Masterclasses for Australian Nationals

Are you Australian or an Australian National living in the UK with a passion for the conservation and repair of historic buildings?

We are pleased to announce that funding is available to attend the Building Conservation Masterclasses (BCMs) at West Dean College.

This bursary provides a contribution of up to £500 per course and is ideal for those planning to take valuable, specialist skills back to Australia after study.

For full eligibility criteria, the application process, and to download the relevant bursary application form, visit our funding page: https://www.westdean.ac.uk/short-courses/funding#bursaries

Explore the course details here: https://www.westdean.ac.uk/degrees-and-diplomas/professional-development-diploma-in-historic-building-conservation-and-repair

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NEW ACT Heritage Council EOI for roles on the ACT Heritage Council in 2026

ACT Heritage has released 3 expressions of interest (EOI) for roles on the ACT Heritage Council in 2026.

The expressions of interest are:

Inviting experts in any of the following fields to apply for two available positions on the Council: Aboriginal culture, Aboriginal history, archaeology, architecture, engineering, history (other than Aboriginal history), landscape architecture, nature conservation, object conservation, town planning, urban planning;
inviting interested members from the property ownership, management and development sector to apply for one public representative position on the ACT Heritage Council.

Council members will be appointed in mid-2026 for a 3 year term.

Roles are remunerated.

The details of the EOIs and how to apply are available on the ACT Diversity Register and Jobs.act.gov.au

Applications close on 9 January 2026.

If you have any questions, please contact the ACT Heritage Council Secretariat (Daisy Chaston) at Heritage.CouncilSecretariat@act.gov.au or on 0435 637 797.

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NEW World Heritage USA International Exchange Program EOI’s close 1 Jan 2026

World Heritage USA, in support of ICOMOS-USA, is seeking graduate students and emerging professionals specialized in historic preservation and heritage conservation to participate in an International Exchange Program (IEP) during the summer of 2025. Interns will be assigned to a 10–12-week, practical working internship, under professional supervision, with a public or private nonprofit heritage organization. These positions are for interns with an undergraduate degree in a preservation or conservation related field such as history, architecture, archaeology, conservation, art history, cultural resource management, or cultural tourism.

By participating in the IEP, interns gain international experience at an early stage in their careers, broadening their worldview and preparing them for success in multicultural environments. In addition to strengthening professional heritage skills, the IEP fosters lifelong relationships between participants and their host organizations, creating a global network of heritage professionals.

Further information can be found here.

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PhD scholarship opportunity in railway heritage

Deakin University is offering a new PhD scholarship opportunity ‘Representing Rail: Railway Heritage in Transnational Contexts’ as part of a multi-disciplinary Australian Research Council-funded research project ‘Derailing Empire: A Transcultural and Gendered History of Australian Rail’ (DP250101888). Applications will remain open until a candidate has been appointed.

Further details are here: https://www.deakin.edu.au/study/fees-and-scholarships/scholarships/find-a-scholarship/hdr-scholarship-australian-railways-in-heritage-and-museums

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WORKSHOPS / COURSES / EVENTS / EXHIBITIONS

NEW Online Self-Paced Course | Europeana Training Platform | 3D Digitisation: Prepare for Success

The 3D Digitisation: Prepare for Success course on the Europeana Training Platform offers a practical guide to creating high-quality 3D cultural heritage assets. Developed within the EUreka3D-XR project, it expands on the earlier 3D Digitisation Guidelines by turning expert recommendations into an accessible online pathway.

It is designed for Cultural Heritage professionals planning or improving their 3D digitisation workflows:

• Builds directly on the EUreka3D 3D Digitisation Guidelines, translating best practices into step-by-step learning.
• Helps professionals assess project complexity and define realistic objectives for 3D digitisation.
• Covers the full workflow from preparation to publishing on platforms like Europeana.
• Offers a flexible, self-paced format suitable for both beginners and experienced cultural heritage professionals.

Access here

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ACCU Nara international conference | Conservation and Interpretation of Archaeological Sites and Authenticity: Approaches to ‘Reconstruction’ through Asia’s Diverse Practices and Rationales,” | 17–18 December 2025

The conference will bring together practitioners and researchers from across Asia to discuss emerging approaches to archaeological site conservation, interpretation, and the reconstruction of architectural remains. This year’s event will be held in a hybrid format, with both in-person participation in Nara and simultaneous online streaming.

Title: Conservation and Interpretation of Archaeological Sites and Authenticity: Approaches to ‘Reconstruction’ through Asia’s Diverse Practices and Rationales

Dates and Times:

December 17, 2025 (Wednesday), 14:00–17:00
December 18, 2025 (Thursday), 9:30–17:00

Registration link https://event.nara.jp/entry/sviVeFz

Conference Languages:
English and Japanese (with simultaneous interpretation)

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PUBLICATIONS

NEW Draft Southern Tasmania Regional Land Use Strategy (STRLUS) released for public comment

The draft Southern Tasmania Regional Land Use Strategy (STRLUS) has been released for public comment.

This consultation is open from 19 November 2025 until 22 February 2026.

For more information on the draft STRLUS and supporting documents available see the
Shaping Tasmania website.

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NEW CYARK, WMF & ICOMOS ISCoAH | Explore Humanity’s Footprint on the Moon

CyArk, in partnership with the World Monuments Fund (WMF) and the ICOMOS International Scientific Committee on Aerospace Heritage (ISCoAH), has unveiled a groundbreaking Tapestry experience that brings the story of Lunar Heritage to life, inviting audiences to explore humanity’s first cultural footprints beyond Earth. The experience transports virtual visitors to three iconic locations on the Moon, leveraging 3D terrain data from NASA’s Lunar Orbiter missions alongside virtual reconstructions to provide a sweeping view of the historic landings that mark humanity’s first steps beyond Earth.

The experience also features new interviews with a lunar archaeologist, a heritage expert, and a cosmonaut, offering unique perspectives on how we understand and protect this extraordinary legacy. The project grew from WMF’s 2025 World Monuments Watch, which recognized the Moon as a vital site of shared human heritage and sparked new conversations about preservation beyond our planet. The Tapestry was created as a way to bring awareness to this piece of endangered yet inaccessible heritage.

Explore here.

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NEW Publishing Opportunities at Change Over Time

Change Over Time: An International Journal of Conservation and the Built Environment, a peer-reviewed journal published by the University of Pennsylvania Press, is excited to announce new publishing opportunities and enhanced publishing features to serve a wider audience:

COT now accepts manuscript submissions outside of individual themes.
COT now publishes pre-prints online on Project Muse, our hosting platform, as individual articles are finalized
COT will now be printed in colour.
COT is now open access through a Penn Press & Project Muse collaboration. This development promotes more equitable access to scholarship.

If you are interested in submitting ideas for future issue themes or have a manuscript you’d like to submit for consideration, please reach out to cot@design.upenn.edu. We would love to hear from you.

For more details, please visit our COT website

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Wishing our readers a safe and happy festive season!

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