Nominations

The Northern Territory Heritage Register contains a list of all declared heritage places and objects which have particular importance for the NT's heritage. Places and objects on the Register are protected by law.

How are Places/Objects Declared?

Places or objects may be nominated to the Register by a member of the public, community organisations, the Heritage Advisory Council (HAC), and the Minister.
Upon receiving the nomination the HAC determines whether to accept or reject the nomination or request further information from the nominator. Once the nomination is accepted, the HAC assesses the significance or heritage value of that place.
If the HAC decides that a place is significant enough to go onto the Register, the owners and/or lessees are contacted and asked for their views on the proposed declaration. Advertisements are placed in the public notices section of Northern Territory newspapers inviting public comments.

Once all the comments are received the HAC addresses those concerns that people may have regarding the proposed declaration. The HAC then makes a final decision whether or not to recommend to the Minister that a certain place should be declared.
The HAC then writes to the Minister recommending that he or she declare that place/object as a Heritage Place/Object and why. Included with the letter are copies of all correspondence received from the owners, lessees and members of the public in relation to the proposed declaration.

The Minister then has 90 days to decide whether or not to declare a place/object, or whether he/she requires further information from the HAC.

Once the Minister has declared a place or object, a notice is placed in the NT Government Gazette and Territory newspapers. Letters are written to the owners/lessees informing them of the Minister's decision.

The place/object is entered on the NT Heritage Register and is protected under the Heritage Conservation Act 1991.

What Kinds of Places/Objects can be Nominated to the Register?

The kinds of places/objects that may be nominated include buildings, trees, fossils, ruins, gardens, landscapes, plant and animal communities, geological features and archaeological sites.

How can I Nominate a Place/Object to the Register?

You can nominate a place or object to the NT Heritage Register by filling in a nomination form. Forms are available from Heritage Branch, 1st Floor 9 - 11 Cavenagh Street, Darwin or by phoning (08) 8999 5036 or by downloading from here.

Nomination Form (PDF 638KB)