About Heritage: Overview

A review of Commonwealth/State Ministerial Councils was undertaken in 2000-01, which led to the re-formation of several existing councils. These were agreed by the Council of Australian Governments (COAG), which represents Federal, State/Territory and local governments, in June 2001.

One of these changes was the creation of the Environment Protection and Heritage Council, intended to amalgamate the work of the National Environment Protection Council (NEPC), the environment protection functions of the Australian and New Zealand Environment Conservation Council (ANZECC) and the Heritage Ministers’ Meetings.

The Heritage Ministers’ Meetings had previously addressed only historic heritage places, and met sporadically. The EPHC addresses natural, Indigenous and historic heritage matters, and meets formally twice a year.

The Council consists of those Federal and State/Territory Ministers with responsibilities for environment and heritage matters, and is chaired by the Commonwealth Minister for the Environment and Heritage, the Hon Dr David Kemp MP.

For the full list of Council members, click here.

A Standing Committee comprising senior officials of environment and heritage agencies supports, and is the principal advisory body to, the Council. Standing Committee meets regularly to develop co-operative and co-ordinated approaches to matters of concern to the Council. The Standing Committee Chair is the Secretary of Environment Australia, Mr Roger Beale.

For further details of Standing Committee membership , click here.

The roles of the Standing Committee are to:

assist and advise Council in the performance of its functions and the exercise of its powers both generally and under the NEPC Act;

oversight the work of subordinate bodies established by Council or by itself;

advise Council on the initiation, review and development of EPH Standing Committee activities; and

secure cooperation between members.

The Standing Committee Chair is the Secretary of Environment Australia, Mr Roger Beale.

For further details of Standing Committee membership, click here.

For information on The EPHC Objectives, Vision Statement and Terms of Reference click here