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Heritage Impact Statement (HIS) - NSW
Ensure your project is respectful of heritage.
A Heritage Impact Statement (HIS) (or Statement of Heritage Impact) is a specialised report that explains how proposed development will affect the heritage significance of a property or surrounding conservation area.
In plain English, it’s about showing council that your project respects the history and character of the site while still allowing modern use.
You’ll need one if your property is heritage-listed, sits within a heritage conservation area, or is close enough to a heritage item that your works might impact it.
HIS documents typically describe the historical significance of the place, outline the proposed changes, and provide a professional assessment of whether those changes conserve, enhance or detract from the heritage values.
The purpose isn’t to stop development, but to ensure it’s done sensitively.
Councils across NSW generally support alterations, additions, or fit-outs if they’re compatible and justified in the HIS.
With the right approach, the viability of approval is strong, especially when the statement is backed by our heritage specialists, detailed photos and design responses that show you’ve considered the site’s story.
StraightLine Planning can prepare your Heritage Impact Statement.
Get a quote.
Four examples where a Heritage Impact Statement would be needed in NSW:
01
Renovations
Renovating or extending a heritage-listed terrace house
03
Development near a Heritage Item
Constructing a new dwelling next to a heritage-listed cottage
02
Commercial Use
Adding signage to a shopfront within a heritage conservation area
04
Aesthetic Upgrades
Alterations to the facade of a building in a heritage precinct
Risks & Challenges
Heritage impact challenges.
The biggest challenge with a Heritage Impact Statement is striking the right balance between preserving history and allowing change.
Councils can be strict if the HIS doesn’t adequately explain how the design respects heritage values, they may refuse the application or ask for major redesigns.
There’s also the chance of neighbour objections, especially in conservation areas where consistency of streetscape is highly valued.
Heritage planning controls can be subjective. What one council officer considers sympathetic, another may not. This makes it vital to clearly justify design choices and show compliance with both the LEP heritage provisions and the Burra Charter principles.
A thorough HIS usually gives your project the best shot at a smooth approval.
