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Unit of study_
ARCH9081: Heritage Law and Policy
2026 unit information
Heritage Law and Policy focuses on the system of legal protections and policy instruments that underpin heritage conservation. The unit introduces students to the ideas of cultural property and shared environmental resources and the ways in which these are balanced with private property rights in heritage policy. It critically assesses legal frameworks using real world case studies, drawing on the knowledge of a range of guest lecturers from industry and government. Classes address the varying levels at which heritage protections operate, from international protocols down to local planning schemes. Students will become familiar with legislation, regulations, planning instruments and policies as well as the use of registers, inventories and other records of significant items. The unit will also address the roles of various government agencies involved in heritage conservation. We consider how heritage protections relate to different scales and types of places, including Indigenous heritage, landscapes, and individual buildings. We also consider how different sanctions and incentives achieve policy aims and support statutory obligations; and we explore innovative legal and policy mechanisms for encouraging the meaningful protection of culturally significant places.
Unit details and rules
Managing faculty or University school:
Sydney School of Architecture, Design and Planning
| Study level | Postgraduate |
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| Academic unit | Urban and Regional Planning and Policy |
| Credit points | 6 |
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Prerequisites:
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None |
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Corequisites:
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None |
| Prohibitions:
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None |
| Assumed knowledge:
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None |
At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:
- LO1. understand the system of heritage protections at a local, regional, national, and international level
- LO2. identify relevant heritage legislation and regulation that applies in a particular situation
- LO3. understand the role of the NSW Land and Environment Court and similar courts and tribunals elsewhere
- LO4. analyse the rationale for different environmental heritage protections including Aboriginal places
- LO5. assess the efficacy of various heritage policy aims
Unit availability
This section lists the session, attendance modes and locations the unit is available in. There is a unit outline for each of the unit availabilities, which gives you information about the unit including assessment details and a schedule of weekly activities.
The outline is published 2 weeks before the first day of teaching. You can look at previous outlines for a guide to the details of a unit.
| Session | MoA ? | Location | Outline ? |
|---|---|---|---|
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Semester 2 2026
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Normal evening | Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney |
Outline unavailable
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Modes of attendance (MoA)
This refers to the Mode of attendance (MoA) for the unit as it appears when you’re selecting your units in Sydney Student. Find more information about modes of attendance on our website.