Cultural heritage database and register

A cultural heritage database and cultural heritage register have been established under Part 5 of the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2003 and the Torres Strait Islander Cultural Heritage Act 2003.

Cultural heritage database

The purpose of the cultural heritage database is to:

• assemble information about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural heritage in a central and accessible location
• provide a research and planning tool to help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parties, researchers and other persons assess the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural heritage values of particular areas.

The database is not publicly available, but we provide information from the database to:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parties – if the information relates to the party's area of responsibility
• land users – if the information is necessary for them to satisfy their duty of care.

Cultural heritage register

The cultural heritage register holds:

• information regarding cultural heritage studies under Part 6 of the legislation
• information regarding Designated Landscape Areas
• information about whether a particular area has been the subject of a cultural heritage management plan  under Part 7 of the legislation
• information on cultural heritage bodies
• details of statutory Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parties.

The register is intended to be:

• a depository of information for consideration for land-use planning (including local government planning schemes and regional planning strategies); and
• a research and planning tool to help people in their consideration of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural heritage values of particular objects and areas.

The register is available to the public.

Searching the database and register

If you are carrying out activities that may impact on Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander cultural heritage you can request information from the database and register by searching the Cultural Heritage Online Portal.

All search requests should indicate which category of the duty of care guidelines applies to your proposed activity.

A short description of any cultural heritage recorded on the database and register will be provided, together with the contact details of the relevant Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander party for the search area.

The Queensland Government also maintains a catalogue of reports and other documentation relating to sites and places recorded on the cultural heritage database and register. There are guidelines for accessing this material, which will usually require the permission of the relevant Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander party.

Online Portal user guide

We have developed a Cultural Heritage Online Portal user guide to help users navigate the system.

Cultural heritage site recording form

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parties and land users who have been granted special access to the online cultural heritage portal can submit information to the database through the online information submission form.

Details submitted on the form will be reviewed by our Cultural Heritage Unit and a site number will be allocated when it is approved.

Any person who wishes to submit information for the database but does not have special access to the online portal should contact the Cultural Heritage Unit to discuss an appropriate submission process.

Contact us

For more information about the cultural heritage database and register contact the Cultural Heritage Unit:

• 1300 378 401
• cultural.heritage@dsdsatsip.qld.gov.au