What is Defence Heritage?
Defence is responsible for an important legacy that has been built up through its history: a legacy of land, places, buildings, memories and stories. Together these make up a rich and valued heritage. 

Australia's development and that of the Defence Forces are intrinsically linked and Defence is the steward of the nation's largest land and property portfolio. Defence property includes places with natural and biodiversity values, places important to Indigenous people, places significant for their Defence history and places that are important to Australia's history and cultural life. Many places have multiple values. Defence maintains a Heritage Register of all the places it owns or controls that are listed on the Commonwealth Heritage List (CHL).

Our vision.
Defence will be a leader in the management of its properties with heritage values. Defence will seek to provide a sound balance between capability and the conservation of heritage values.

What is the Defence Heritage and Biodiversity Conservation section?
The Defence Heritage and Biodiversity Conservation section in the Defence Support Group assists with the strategic management of Defence's heritage places. The section develops policies and heritage management tools and resources, and helps Defence to meet its obligations under the Commonwealth heritage legislative regime.

The Defence Heritage Toolkit.
The Defence Heritage Toolkit is designed to assist Defence personnel in understanding and managing places and things of heritage value within the Defence Estate. It provides practical guidance on how to progress development proposals, methods for managing heritage, and where to go for further information. The toolkit is essential reading for environmental officers, Defence contractors and all Defence personnel involved in the management of the Defence estate.

Management Plans for Defence places on the CHL
Many Heritage Management Plans (HMPs) have been prepared for Defence properties with heritage values, and many more are under development or to be prepared in the future. These forward looking plans provide practical and specific recommendations and standards for managing heritage values. HMPs are being developed in consultation with stakeholders through workshops and direct participation in the development of recommendations and requirements. They will be in plain English so that they can be incorporated into the day-today management of the Defence Estate and the associated planning and budgetary processes.

Defence is working towards having heritage management plans in place for all its properties entered on the Commonwealth Heritage List by 2015. We also aim for these documents to be reviewed on a regular basis to ensure their currency and usefulness.

Defence Heritage Advisory Service
The Defence Heritage Advisory Service (DHAS) provides telephone, email or in-person limited advice to Defence users on heritage issues. DHAS caters for both regional and national Defence staff and related contractors who are involved in the planning and management of Defence sites.

Go to our FAQ page for more answers to your questions about Defence heritage.