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BA see building application (NSW)

benefit-cost analysis: a process by which the benefits of a proposal are compared with the costs. Ideally, all benefits and costs are included, although this is difficult given that (economic) values need to be placed on factors that are often non-material and hence hard to value. Benefits should outweigh costs for a project to proceed.

biodiversity (or biological diversity): the diversity of life forms that can be measured at various scales from genetic diversity, through species diversity, to ecosystem diversity.

Biodiversity Advisory Council: established by the Australian federal Minister for the Environment in 1991 to advise on legislation and other matters relating to the conservation of biodiversity.

Biological Diversity Advisory Committee: established under the Australian Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

biome: a major regional plant and animal community, comprising a large number of broadly similar ecosystems.

Biosphere Protection Zone: the Chinese equivalent of Biosphere Reserves and part of the Man and the Biosphere Programme.

Biosphere Reserves: a worldwide network of natural reserves stemming from the Man and the Biosphere Programme which, in turn, sprang from the UNESCO Biosphere Conference of 1968. In mid-1999, there were 357 Biosphere Reserves.

buffer zone: a zone surrounding a highly protected core area in a natural reserve. Buffer zones protect the core from the adverse effects of direct contact with non-reserved land, while possibly allowing a wider range of human activities than is permitted in the core.

building application (BA): an application for permission to build, extend or alter premises. In the case of heritage properties, the impact of the proposed activities on heritage values will be considered.

Burra Charter: more formally known as the Australian ICOMOS Charter for the Conservation of Places of Cultural Significance, this Charter offers guidelines for the conservation and management of built or cultural heritage properties. The Charter was prepared by the Australian Committee of ICOMOS at a meeting in Burra, SA, in 1979.

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Cadw Welsh Historic Monuments: the agency that manages cultural heritage sites, mainly the castles built for Edward I, in Wales.

Caisse Nationale des Monuments Historiques es des Sites (CNMHS)(National Fund for Historic Monuments and Sites): a French government register of cultural heritage sites, including archaeological sites. Once listed, properties are managed and promoted in a coordinated fashion.

California Department of Parks and Recreation: the state department that includes both California State Parks and the California Office of Historic Preservation.

California Historical Landmark Program: a register of over 1000 sites of state-level cultural heritage significance, listed between 1931 and 1992, when it became part of the California Register of Historical Resources.

California Office of Historic Preservation (COHP): the state-level body that coordinates preservation of historical and cultural heritage resources. It also assesses sites suggested for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places, offers access to grants and tax concessions, and oversees development likely to affect heritage values of listed properties.

California Point of Historical Interest Program: a register for cultural heritage places of local, rather than state, significance maintained from 1959 to 1992, when it became part of the California Register of Historical Resources.

California Register of Historical Resources Program: a comprehensive register of places of cultural heritage significance formed in 1992 by combining to earlier registers (California Historical Landmark Program, California Point of Historical Interest Program), and added to since then.

California State Parks (Cal-Parks): the state body that manages over 250 natural heritage areas of many different types. It is the state's equivalent of the US National Parks Service.

California Wilderness Preservation System: a state-wide system to manage wilderness areas, some, but not all, of which are part of the California State Parks system.

Californian Historical Resources Information System: the cultural heritage database of the California Office of Historic Preservation.

Cal-Parks see California State Parks (USA)

Cape Nature Conservation (CNC): the province-level body responsible for natural heritage conservation and management in Western Cape Province, South Africa.

Central Office of Architectural, Archaeological, Artistic and Historical Properties see Ufficio Centrale per i Beni Architettonici, Archeologici, Atristici e Storici (UCBAAAS)(Italy)

Central Office of Environmental and Landscape Properties see Ufficio Centrale per i Beni Ambientali e Paesaggistici (UCBAP)(Italy)

change, incremental: a term most usually applied to cultural heritage sites and relating to gradual change and adaptation of buildings and sites to changing needs and occupants. Incremental change, of course, is normal in natural sites, too.

CHB see Cultural Heritage Branch (TPWS) (Tas)

CHL see Commonwealth Heritage List (Australia)

CITES see Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species

cityscape: the overall landscape of a city or one of its districts. It is thus concerned with the cumulative impact of many buildings and other properties, rather than with individual sites.

clearance, land or vegetation: the clearing of vegetation to allow agricultural or urban development, resulting in loss of habitat, increased erosion, and possibly extinction of species.

CNC see Cape Nature Conservation (South Africa)

CNHMS see Caisse Nationale des Monuments Historiques es des Sites (France)

CNP see Council for National Parks (UK)

Coastal Park: one of the categories of reserve gazetted under the National Parks Act 1975 of Victoria and administered by Parks Victoria.

código definitivo: a permanent listing for cultural and historical heritage properties in Spain.

COHP see California Office of Historic Preservation (USA)

collective protection: either the protection of a number of heritage items as a group, or the combined action of a number of individuals and/or organisations to protect heritage items.

commercialisation: the realisation of the economic value of heritage resources through opening properties to paying visitors or allowing other commercial uses in them, as well as through the manufacture and sale of souvenirs and other goods based on heritage values.

commodification: the process of seeing heritage and people's experiences of it as a commodity that can be sold to tourists and others.

Commonwealth Heritage List: a register of properties with heritage significance owned and managed by the Federal Government and its agencies, which is likely to come into existence in 2002 following passage of the new Australian federal heritage legislation.

Community Partners Program: a program of the US National Trust for Historic Preservation, which aims to promote the use of historic preservation as a tool to revitalise historic neighbourhoods.

compatible use: 'a use which involves no change to the culturally significant fabric, changes which are substantially reversible, or changes which require a minimal impact' (Burra Charter); in other words, a different use that does not detract from the heritage values of a site or building.

compensation: payment to private owners who, because of the desire to maintain heritage values on a property, are required to forego development, demolition or other actions, and hence incur a financial burden.

conservation: 'all the processes of looking after a place so as to retain its cultural significance … includes maintenance and may according to circumstance include preservation, restoration, reconstruction and adaptation … commonly a combination of more than one of these' (Burra Charter). In general terms applicable to both cultural and natural heritage sites, conservation involves maintaining the heritage values and significance of a site.

conservation, biodiversity: conserving as much as possible of the diversity of life and species present in a district, region, nation or the world. This is usually most successfully done through habitat conservation, not necessarily in reserves or publically protected areas.

conservation, off-reserve: the conservation of biodiversity, native vegetation, or heritage values of many kinds on private lands, rather than in publically managed reserves.

Conservation Act 1987 (NZ): this New Zealand Act established the Department of Conservation in 1987 and is a key piece of legislation for the conservation of natural heritage areas.

Conservation and Land Management Act 1984 (WA): state legislation that set up the WA National Parks and Nature Conservation Authority, and which deals with the management of natural heritage sites.

Conservation Area: in NSW this refers to an area of land subject to a conservation agreement made between the NPWS and a private landowner, and remaining in private ownership; in Tasmania, this is used as a general term for large, multiple-use reserves which may be managed as State Reserves (of various types), Game Reserves, or Wildlife Sanctuaries.

conservation area or zone: an extended area which is managed to conserve cultural and/or natural heritage values at the landscape or urban precinct level. In other words, many properties, perhaps in many different ownerships, are usually involved, rather than one or a few properties.

Conservation Commission: the predecessor of the Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife Commission.

Conservation of Natural Spaces and of Native Flora and Fauna Act 1989 (Spain): the key legislation for the conservation and management of natural heritage areas, including the eleven national parks, in Spain.

conservation order: an administrative order to prevent actions that are likely to negatively impact on heritage values; specifically, as applied to cultural heritage properties in WA.

Conservation Park: a category of reserve in Qld, where it differs from a National Park in that some commercial resource-exploitation uses are permitted; SA, where it is an area protected so as to preserve wildlife, or natural or historic features, but which is not of national significance; and in WA, where it is also a reserve of significance below the national level.

construct, cultural: something which does not have objective meaning or existence outside the cultural framework of individuals or groups of people; meaning is only given or constructed by reference to the cultural context, and hence can differ significantly between individuals and groups.

contested: having different meanings for, or being interpreted differently by, individuals and groups, thus leading to debate and differences of opinion.

context: this term has various meanings relevant to heritage studies. It can refer to the physical surroundings of a heritage property; or to the social, economic and political 'climate' in which decisions are made; or to the social, historical, ecological or other background and knowledge-base against which significance is judged.

contiguous: adjacent to and continuous with (another heritage property).

Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage see World Heritage Convention

Convention on Biological Diversity: an international treaty that came into effect in 1993 to promote the conservation of biodiversity worldwide. Natural reserves feature prominently in the document.

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES): commonly referred to as CITES, this international treaty attempts to prevent trade in endangered species and products derived from them. A list of such species is regularly updated.

Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat: commonly referred to as the Ramsar Convention, after the Iranian town where the meeting that led to this international treaty took place. It is particularly concerned with the conservation of wetlands that are significant for migratory birds, and these are listed under the Convention.

Co-ordinated Conservation Area: a type of reserve in Qld , the management of which involves cooperation between public agencies and private owners to preserve cultural and natural values, but also allows for the economic use of the area.

core: a central area of a natural reserve (or, possibly, a historic town or precinct) that is highly protected from external influences and change, by being surrounded by areas that are protected to lesser degrees.

corridor: a strip of natural or near-natural vegetation joining natural reserves and allowing floral and faunal contact between the larger areas.

Council for National Parks (CNP): a voluntary organisation in the United Kingdom that acts as an advocate for national parks and related issues, and raises funds to assist achieve its goals. It has a Friends of National Parks group within it, and members can act as volunteers in various roles within the national parks..

'country': a term used by Australia's indigenous peoples to refer to the landscape and natural environment within which they live or with which they have traditional links, including all spiritual meaning and traditional connotations attached to that land.

CPP see Community Partners Program (NTHP, USA)

criteria: the specific standards of judgement used to determine the level and scale of significance of heritage properties and areas.

Cultural Heritage Branch: a branch of the Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service, which includes the Historic Heritage Section and the Aboriginal Heritage Section. It is the body with basic responsibility for cultural heritage in the state.

Cultural Heritage Section: part of the Environmental Planning Division of the Department of the Environment Protection Agency in Queensland. This section provides the administrative support for the Heritage Council (q.v.).

cultural landscapes: a general term given a more specific use by the World Heritage Committee. In the World Heritage context, it is a formalisation of the earlier practice of inscribing some properties as 'mixed' when they met a combination of cultural and natural criteria. The category of World Heritage Cultural Landscapes was introduced in 1992 to cover sites with a significant interaction between people (more often than not, indigenous peoples) and natural landscapes. The term can also be used in a similar way at other scales.

Cultural Preserve: a name given to particular sections of some Californian reserves administered by California State Parks, recognising cultural heritage values.

Cultural Record (Landscapes Queensland and Queensland Estate) Act 1987 (Qld): this Act provides for a Register of the Queensland Estate and provides the vehicle for protection of areas or features of 'anthropological, cultural, historic, prehistoric or societal significance', although the passage of more recent Acts has meant that it now mainly deals with indigenous heritage.

Cultural Relic: a widely used designation in China; properties may be listed as cultural relics of national importance, or of importance at provincial or even more local levels.

culture: the aggregate of both physical artefacts and non-material aspects that make up the way of living of a nation or other group, and which is transmitted from generation to generation.

curtilage: the area surrounding a historic building or other feature which must necessarily be conserved to protect the heritage values of the main feature. It may include open space, gardens, walls and fences, and outbuildings.

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DA see development application (NSW)

DEA&T see Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (South Africa)

Declared Archaeological Area: a designation applied to an Aboriginal cultural heritage site under the protection of the Victoria Archaeology Survey.

degradation: the process of reducing the significance or heritage values of a site.

degradation, ecosystem: the process of lessening the quality and heritage values of a natural site, particularly by lessening the integrity and value of the vegetation and associated fauna.

demolition: the complete removal of a building or complex of buildings, along with any heritage value they might have. This is usually done so that new development can take place on the site.

DEPA see Department of the Environment Protection Agency (Qld)

Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands: the government department in the Republic of Ireland within which Dúchas -- The Heritage Service is situated.

Department of Conservation (DOC): also known by its Maori name, Te Papa Atawhai, this New Zealand government department was set up under the Conservation Act 1987. It administers national-level natural reserves. Administration of the NZ Historic Places Trust and cultural sites was transferred to the new Ministry of Culture and Heritage in 1999.

Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM): the WA Government's department which manages state-level natural reserves, on the basis of management plans developed by the National Parks and Nature Conservation Authority .

Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEA&T): responsible at the national level, through its agency, South African National Parks, for management of natural reserves in South Africa, including the eighteen National Parks.

Department of National Heritage: the formal title of English Heritage in the United Kingdom.

Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DNRE): the Victorian Government's department that deals with environmental matters. The Director of National Parks and Parks Victoria are in the same Ministry, but not actually within the Department.

Department of the Environment (DoE): formerly responsible for 'non-ancient' cultural heritage in the United Kingdom, this department continues to have oversight of English Nature and the autonomous authorities that manage the National Parks.

Department of the Environment and Heritage: the Australian Commonwealth department that deals with both natural and cultural heritage at the national level. It has within it both Parks Australia and the Australian Heritage Commission. Its role has changed, and will continue to change, as new environmental and heritage legislation is passed.

Department of the Environment Protection Agency (DEPA): the Queensland state department that includes both a Cultural Heritage Section (which covers both indigenous and non-indigenous heritage) and the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service.

Department of Urban Affairs and Planning (DUAP): the NSW department concerned with planning generally, and, through the Heritage Office, heritage planning and management.

desecration: the act of adversely affecting a sacred site or religious site or building in a way that intentionally or otherwise interferes with its essential values; by extension, acts that lessen heritage values of sites more generally.

design guidelines: used in NSW and intended to help architects and developers avoid intrusive or out-of character proposals and projects in heritage precincts.

Designated Landscape Area: an area in Queensland protected under the Cultural Record (Landscapes Queensland and Queensland Estate) Act 1987 (Qld) to preserve, in particular, indigenous heritage.

development application (DA): an application to develop a site (NSW).

development control plan: a legally binding planning instrument used in NSW to control the type of development that takes place in a zoned area.

developmentalism: the philosophy or belief that development is preferable to conservation or preservation at almost any cost.

dissonance: a disagreement or incongruity resulting from people and groups having differing views and perceptions.

Directorate of Architecture and Heritage (La direction de l'architecture et du patrimoine): created in 1998, this section of the French Ministry of Culture has responsibility for cultural heritage matters at the national level. It adminsisters and manages key sites, undertakes research, and maintains an extensive archive and register.

Division of State Aboriginal Affairs: a section within the Department of Transport, Urban Planning and the Arts in SA that administers the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1988 (SA).

DLA see designated landscape area (Qld)

DNRE see Department of Natural Resources and Environment (Victoria)

DOC see Department of Conservation (NZ)

documentation: the extensive information required to adequately classify, conserve and manage heritage properties. It may include plans and photographs as well as written or printed materials.

DoE see Department of the Environment (UK)

dolmen: a prehistoric grave site marked by two or more large upright stones (with gaps between them) capped by a horizontal one.

DUAP see Department of Urban Affairs and Planning (NSW)

Dúchas -- The Heritage Service the Republic of Ireland's heritage body established in 1996 following passage of the Heritage Act in 1995. It has three major divisions: National parks and Wildlife; national monuments and Historic Properties; and Waterways.

dynamic equilibrium: the fairly steady or constant state in which an environment or ecosystem remains in the longer term, despite short-term variations about that state that are 'self-corrected' so that equilibrium is regained.

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Earth Sanctuaries : a private company listed on Australian Stock Exchanges and intended to run fenced reserves to conserve endangered species of Australian mammals. Shareholders were intended to be paid dividends resulting from profits generated by visitors to the sanctuaries. A number of reserves have been set up, but the venture was in serious financial difficulties at the end of 2001.

Earth Summit see United Nations Conference on the Environment and Development

eclectic: a term used to describe architecture that combines ideas and features from many styles. One recognised 'style', Post-Modernist architecture, is truly eclectic.

economic rationalism: a philosophy that puts neo-classical economics ahead of other factors or approaches, and that maintains that a free market and a free reign for market forces are paramount in tackling society's problems and aspirations.

ecosystem: a community of organisms living together, along with the environment within which they live. An ecosystem is a dynamic, open system in which changes in one part may well affect many other parts, and in which flows of energy, information and materials are crucial.

ecotourism: low-impact, responsible tourism that concentrates on high-value interactions with the natural environment, and which sometimes also incorporates interactions with the cultural (usually indigenous) environment as well.

Ecotourism Association of Australia (EAA): a trade body that represents the interests of ecotourism operators and attempts to ensure standards through a Code of Practice and accreditation.

Endangered Species Protection Act 1992 (Cth): the Australian federal legislation dealing with the protection of endangered species until the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act became law in 1999.

endemic: (species) restricted to a particular region or nation.

endogenous: originating from within (a reserve, for example).

English Heritage: more formerly, the Department of National Heritage, and located within the Ministry for Media, Culture and Sport in the United Kingdom. Its purpose is to manage, protect and promote the cultural heritage of England. Although a government body, it has members and sells seasons tickets to the properties it manages and opens to the public. It also undertakes research, provides grants for heritage protection, and maintains registers.

English Nature: a section of the Department of the Environment, it administers areas including National Nature Reserves, Sites of Special Scientific Interest, and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, but not the National Parks.

Environment Act 1995 (UK): the key environmental legislation for the United Kingdom, this Act, among other things, sets up the autonomous Authorities that administer the English and Welsh National Parks.

Environment and Heritage Service: this section of the UK Department of the Environment administers heritage properties in Northern Ireland.

Environment Australia: the key Commonwealth agency within the Department of the Environment and Heritage. It includes Parks Australia, while the Australian Heritage Commission is an associated statutory authority.

Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth): the new 1999 legislation dealing with natural heritage issues at the federal level, including the mamagement of properties listed under international treaties, especially the World Heritage Convention and Ramsar. From 2002, national-level heritage sites of all types will probably be protected under this Act following the passage of new Commonwealth heritage legislation.

environmental impact assessment: a research, data collection and analysis process that allows an informed assessment of the likely environmental impact of some proposed action or development.

environmental impact statement: the report published at the conclusion of an environmental impact assessment.

Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (NSW): the state's key legislation dealing with local planning schemes and consent procedures, both of which play a major role in heritage conservation.

environmental services: services provided by the environment, such as water purification, flood mitigation, and climate ameliorisation.

EPAA see Environmental Planning and Assessment Act (NSW)

EPBCA see Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (Australia)

Ethnic Communities Consultation Program: a program of the NSW Heritage Office that aims to involve migrant and indigenous communities more in the heritage process, and to add more 'ethnic' properties to the state's heritage registers.

Eurocentric: attitudes and perceptions strongly based in a European cultural and historical background, to such an extent that other cultural perspectives are largely ignored.

exogenous: originating outside (a reserve, for example).

Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife see KwaZulu-Natal Nature Conservation Services (South Africa)

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fabric: 'all the physical material of the place' (Burra Charter), both in a broad sense and in detailed construction, decoration and finishes. The term could, at a stretch, be extended to the natural environment to encompass all elements of an ecosystem and its environment.

façade: the principle face of a building that may contribute to a streetscape or the heritage values of a precinct even if the building is not significant in its own right.

façadism: the process by which a building's façade is retained while the remainder of the building is demolished and a new structure is built behind the street front.

FEC see Fondo Edifici di Culto (Italy)

Fondo Edifici di Culto (FEC)(Religious Properties Fund): a body set up by the Italian Government in 1987 to assist in conserving heritage properties owned by the Roman Catholic Church.

Forest Park: the major natural reserve category at the national level in China. These areas are controlled by the national Forestry Administration and are not necessarily all forest; some include major human activity. Some are also designated as National Scenic Areas.

Friends of National Parks: a group within the Council for National Parks in the United Kingdom. Activities include voluntary work within the parks, fund-raising, and educational and advocacy work.

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game parks: reserves in which visitors can view, and in some cases hunt, native fauna; they are especially common in southern and eastern Africa, where many are privately owned and operated.

Game Reserve: a reserve category in Tasmania with a prime fauna conservation function.

General Assembly of State Parties: a meeting of all State Parties to the World Heritage Convention held every two years. In between these meetings, the World Heritage Committee (elected by the General Assembly) and the even smaller 'executive' World Heritage Bureau carry out the Convention's functions.

geographic information systems (GIS): computer-based systems that facilitate the handling and analysis of large sets of spatial data, including those in map format.

GIS see geographic information systems

Global Strategy: a strategy devised by the World Heritage Bureau and Committee to improve the comprehensiveness and representativeness of the World Heritage List in terms of both geographical coverage and types of heritage items.

grave site, prehistoric: important prehistoric archaeological sites associated with burials, that include earthen mounds and stone arrangements and structures of various types.

Guidelines for Protected Area Management Categories: IUCN guidelines for the definition of 'national parks', 'protected landscapes' and other types of reserves.

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habitat: the complex of ecosystems and environments within which an organism lives.

hardening: making a site (usually a natural heritage site) more resistant to the impact of humans; for example, by paving tracks or installing boardwalks.

HBC see Historic Buildings Council (Vic)

hegemonic: in a position of power or dominance.

heritage: all that which is worth preserving for present and future generations.

heritage, built: historic buildings, structures and other immoveable physical reminders of human occupance of an area that have heritage significance.

heritage, cultural: elements of our heritage that stem from human occupance and cultural activities. 'Cultural heritage', as used in this book and unit, essentially means built heritage and sites with historical and cultural significance, but moveable and non-material aspects of heritage could also be included.

heritage, global: heritage that is significant on a world or global scale.

heritage, historical: heritage that is significant because of its historical associations.

heritage, immoveable: heritage buildings, structures and sites that cannot be readily moved to museums or other off-site repositories.

heritage, indigenous: the heritage of the indigenous peoples of a region or nation.

heritage, minority: heritage of a minority group, however defined.

heritage, moveable: heritage that can be readily moved into museums, libraries and the like; this includes paintings, smaller pieces of sculpture, books, craftwork, furniture and various artefacts.

heritage, multicultural: an assemblage of heritage that recognises the ethnic diversity of a community such as Australia's.

heritage, national: that heritage deemed significant at a national level.

heritage, natural: heritage items from the natural environment, including natural landscapes, ecosystems, geological features, and flora and fauna.

heritage, non-material: such things as music, dance, religion, philosophy, and folklore.

Heritage Act 1977 (NSW): the legislation that set up the current heritage (especially cultural heritage) processes and bodies in NSW, including the Heritage Council and Heritage Office.

Heritage Act 1992 (Qld): the basic Queensland legislation dealing with the historical and cultural (and primarily non-indigenous) heritage of Queensland. It created the Heritage Council and set up the Cultural Heritage Section within the Department of the Environment Protection Authority.

Heritage Act 1993 (SA): this Act superseded one of the same name from 1978. It gave rise to the State Heritage Authority and Heritage SA.

Heritage Act 1995 (Vic): this Act provides legal protection for heritage sites and brought into being the Heritage Council Victoria and the Victorian Heritage Register.

Heritage Act 1995 (Ireland): this legislation of the Republic of Ireland brought all aspects of the national heritage into a new government agency, Dúchas -- The Heritage Service. It also established the Heritage Council as an independent body.

heritage agreements: agreements between the WA Government and private owners to encourage the participation of the latter in the heritage conservation process.

Heritage Amendment Act 1998 (NSW): amendment to the Heritage Act 1977 (NSW) to give greater and better defined heritage planning powers to local government.

Heritage Assistance Program: a program administered by the NSW Heritage Council to channel State Government funding to heritage research and to the conservation and restoration of particular buildings and sites of significance at the state level.

Heritage Buildings Protection Act 1990 (Qld): an interim Act replaced by the Heritage Act 1992 (Qld).

Heritage Conservation Act 1991 (NT): an Act that encompasses all types of heritage and sets up the NT's Heritage Council.

Heritage Council (ACT): established by the Land (Planning and Environment) Act 1991 (ACT), the Council deals with submissions for inclusion on the Heritage Places Register, and objections to such proposals.

Heritage Council (Ireland)

Heritage Council (NSW): the Council is established under the Heritage Act 1977 (NSW) and is the key heritage policy-making and advisory body in the state. It receives administrative support from the Heritage Office

Heritage Council (NT): established by the Heritage Conservation Act 1991 (NT), this body advises the minister and government, recommends sites for formal declaration and entry on the register, and prepares conservation plans.

Heritage Council (Qld): created by the Heritage Act 1992 (Qld), the Council maintains a Heritage Register and deals with applications to develop heritage sites and otherwise protects heritage properties.

Heritage Council (Tas): the Tasmanian version of a Heritage Council was established by the Historic Cultural Heritage Act 1995 (Tas); it has a largely advisory role.

Heritage Council of WA: established under the Heritage of Western Australia Act 1990 (WA), the Council considers public submissions, makes recommendations to the Minister on sites for inclusion on the Register of Heritage Places, and advises on and exercises a certain amount of control over development work on listed properties.

Heritage Council Victoria: this body replaced the earlier Historic Buildings Council after passage of the Heritage Act 1995 (Vic). Among other things, it maintains the Victoria Heritage Register and the Heritage Inventory.

Heritage Inventory: the Victorian heritage database that includes sites listed on the Victoria Heritage Register, as well as those listed on federal and local government registers or lists.

Heritage Objects Act 1991 (ACT): legislation to specifically protect Aboriginal heritage in the ACT.

Heritage of Western Australia Act 1990 (WA): establishes the Heritage Council of WA, defines criteria for adding properties to the Register of Heritage Places, and allows for various other protective mechanisms.

Heritage Office: provides administrative support for the NSW Heritage Office and administers the provisions of the Heritage Act 1977 (NSW) and amendments. It also provides advice to government and private owners, undertakes research, takes part in public education programs, and administers the Heritage Assistance Program.

Heritage Places Register: a register of all types of heritage sites in the ACT, including indigenous sites

Heritage Register (Qld): this register includes all places on the Register of the national Estate (that are located in Qld) and those listed by the National Trust of Australia (Qld).

Heritage SA: the administrative support body for the State Heritage Authority; both boies were established by the Heritage Act 1991 (SA).

Historic Buildings Act 1981 (Vic): the key Act regarding cultural heritage protection in Victoria prior to passing of the Heritage Act 1995 (Vic); it set up the Historic Buildings Council.

Historic Buildings Council (HBC): the main Victorian agency concerned with cultural heritage until it was superseded by the Heritage Council Victoria in 1995. The HBC advised the minister regarding listing proposals for the Historic Buildings Register and the Register of Government Buildings.

Historic Buildings Register: the Victorian register for non-government buildings from its inception in 1981 until its replacement in 1995 by the Victoria Heritage Register (for the most significant properties) and the Heritage Inventory.

Historic Cultural Heritage Act 1995 (Tas): an Act that establishes the Heritage Council and the Tasmanian Heritage Register.

Historic Houses Trust (HHT): a NSW Government agency that owns, manages and presents a small number of historic buildings; until recently, these were all houses, but others, including the Mint Museum, have now been added.

Historic Heritage Section: a division of the Cultural Heritage Branch of the Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service that administers Tasmania's non-indigenous cultural heritage.

Historic Park: a category of reserve administered by Parks Victoria under the National Parks Act 1975 (Vic).

Historic Places Act 1993 (NZ): replaces an earlier Act with the same title. Together with sections of the Resource Management Act 1991 (NZ), it gives legislative backing for the NZ Historic Places Trust and management of cultural heritage more generally.

Historic Scotland: the chief government cultural heritage agency for Scotland, it manages over 300 sites, many of which are open to the public.

Historic Site: a reserve category used in NSW and Tasmania, and administered by the relevant national parks authority. This designation is also used in China.

Historical Monument: a Chinese designation for a reserve with important historical associations, which can be administered at national or provincial level.

Historical Park: an area of concentrated historical heritage importance in Thailand.

HO see Heritage Office (NSW)

homelands: the separate and often rather barren and isolated lands set aside for native African groups in apartheid-era South Africa.

Hope Inquiry into the National Estate: an inquiry instituted by the Federal Labour Government of the early 1970s, which resulted in the Australian Heritage Commission and the Register of the National Estate being established.

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IBRA see Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation of Australia

ICCROM see International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property

ICO see Interim Conservation Order (NSW)

ICOMOS see International Council on Monuments and Sites

identification: the process of assessing properties with possible heritage significance at the appropriate scale and, by using guidelines and sets of established critieria, finding those that are significant.

in situ: on site, rather than off site, perhaps in a distant museum.

Indigenous Advisory Committee: an Australian committee of indigenous people set up under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) to advise the relevant minister and others with regard to matters covered by the Act.

integrity: the degree to which a site retains its heritage values and significance intact and undiminished.

Intergovernmental Agreement on the Environment: a 1992 Australian agreement between federal, state and territory governments (and with limited local government involvement) to set out the relative roles of each level of government in environmental and, by implication, heritage matters, and to promote cooperation and a uniform approach.

Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation of Australia: an initial attempt to divide the continent into a number of major biogeographic regions to assist in ensuring a comprehensive and representative natural reserve system.

interim conservation order: a temporary protective order that remains in place for a short period while permanent listing, registration and protection are considered.

Interim List: under the present (pre-2002) Australian federal procedures, places nominated for entry on the Register of the National Estate are, if suitable, placed on this list during a period of advertisement and comment before possible permanent listing.

interim preservation order: used in Victoria and very similar to interim conservation orders.

International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM): a Rome-based organisation that helps the World Heritage Committee evaluate nomination of cultural sites for inscription on the World Heritage List and also comments on the on-going condition and management of inscribed sites.

International Charter for the Conservation and Restoration of Monuments and Sites: a set of guidelines for the care of cultural heritage properties agreed to in Venice in 1966 (and hence sometimes referred to as the Venice Charter), for which the International Council on Monuments and Sites is the secretariat.

International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS): a Paris-based organisation that helps the World Heritage Committee evaluate nomination of cultural sites for inscription on the World Heritage List and also comments on the on-going condition and management of inscribed sites. ICOMOS has also prepared widely respected guidelines for conserving and managing cultural heritage properties (see the International Charter for the Conservation and Restoration of Monuments and Sites) which formed the basis for Australia's Burra Charter.

International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN): an organisation based in Switzerland that helps the World Heritage Committee evaluate nomination of natural sites for inscription on the World Heritage List and also comments on the on-going condition and management of inscribed sites. IUCN has also prepared widely respected guidelines for conserving and managing natural reserves and these, in part, formed the basis for the Australian Natural Heritage Charter.

interpretation: the establishment and conveyance of meaning in relation to heritage sites.

intervention: taking actions to slow or halt on-going processes that might lead to deterioration of a site or loss of heritage values or significance.

Inventory of Natural Heritage Areas in Ireland: a listing of such areas maintaining by Dúchas -- the Heritage Service for the Republic of Ireland.

IUCN see International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources

IUCN categories see Guidelines for Protected Area Management Categories

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Kakadu Regional Social Impact Study: an assessment of the likely impacts of mining and other activities on the traditional owners and other indigenous people in the Kakadu region of the Northern Territory, and on the Kakadu National Park's and the Kakadu World Heritage property's cultural values.

KRSIS see Kakadu Regional Social Impact Study (NT)

KwaZulu-Natal Nature Conservation Services (or Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife): the provincial body responsible for natural area management in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

KZNNCS see KwaZulu-Natal Nature Conservation Services (South Africa)

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La direction de l'architecture et du patrimoine see Directorate of Architecture and Heritage (France)

Land and Environment Court: the arbiter on disputes arising from application of planning legislation and planning instruments in NSW, including those relating to heritage matters; conciliation and mediation are often used in preference to formal court proceedings.

Land Conservation Council: a Victorian agency concerned with the management and use of Crown land in that state; one of its tasks is to identify any further land suitable for reservation, including as wilderness areas.

Land Conservation, Preservation and Infrastructure Improvement Trust Program: a mechanism to channel federal US money into conservation programs.

Land (Planning and Environment) Act 1991 (ACT): this Act provides for the Heritage Places Register, which include all types of heritage sites, and for the Heritage Council.

Lands Act 1933 (WA): deals with the reservation of Crown land.

landscape: the overall land surface, including its vegetation cover and the artefacts of human occupance.

Landscape Conservation Area (LCA): a conservation category used in NSW, and which deals with relatively large areas in which the broader landscape possesses significant value as well as, or rather than, individual elements within it being significant. LCAs frequently involve areas with a combination of natural and cultural features that together give them their significance.

landscape protection zone: very similar to the NSW Landscape Conservation Areas (q.v.).

LCA see landscape conservation area (NSW)

LEP see local environment plan (NSW)

LGPEA see Local Government (Planning and Environment) Act (Qld)

List of Wetlands of International Importance: the official international listing of wetlands recognised as important under the Ramsar Convention (the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance … ).

List of World Heritage in Danger: a list compiled by the World Heritage Committee to highlight those properties inscribed on the World Heritage List that face actual or potential dangers that will or might diminish their significant heritage values.

listing: placing on a list or register of heritage places. In the UK, this is a lesser degree of recognition than scheduling, the latter providing greater legal protection

listing proposal: a well documented case setting out the reasons why a site should be listed on a heritage list or register, together with adequate background information about the site to assist the appropriate authorities in making their decision.

Local Environment Plan: a plan drawn up by a local government body (shire or municipal council) in NSW to address many aspects of the planning process, including the recognition and protection of heritage sites. A local heritage study should precede the heritage aspects of LEP preparation.

Local Government Act 1962 (Tas): allows local government authorities to identify, protect and acquire historic places, and allows for compensation if preservation orders have adverse effects on owners.

Local Government Act 1993 (NSW): this Act allows local authorities to use Local Approvals Policies to protect heritage items when assessing building and development applications. It also covers other relevant mechanisms such as Development Control Plans, Design Guidelines, and Statements of Heritage Impact.

Local Government (Planning and Environment) Act 1990 (Qld): under this legislation, the Queensland Heritage Council can delegate to local authorities the right to approve (or not) work on a registered heritage place. Stop-work orders may be imposed, and compensation is available to owners.

local heritage studies: comprehensive studies required in NSW before heritage elements can be incorporated into Local Environment Plans by local authorities. These studies are usually undertaken by consultants and should have a high degree of local involvement representing the entire range of stakeholders. Their aim is to identify heritage items of such significance that they warrant legal protection.

LWHD see List of World Heritage in Danger

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MAB see Man and the Biosphere Programme

Main Street Program: a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation in the USA that aims to help smaller towns rejuvenate their main-street commercial areas while also preserving the heritage values of such areas.

maintenance: 'the continuous protective care of the fabric, contents and setting of a place … to be distinguished from repair which involves restoration or reconstruction' (Burra Charter).

Man and the Biosphere Programme: a result of the 1968 UNESCO Biosphere Conference, this program, among other achievements, has established the World Network of Biosphere Reserves.

mana whenua: in the Mori language, this means 'customary rights and authority over land' and is similar to the land rights of traditional Aboriginal owners in Australia..

management: the process of controlling the various tasks and activities need to maintain and present a heritage site. The overall task includes site management, financial management and visitor management.

management, fire: in Australia, fire management is a key component of natural site management and may include hazard reduction burning and various forms of controlled cool burns to mimic Aboriginal use of fire and to prevent the hot wildfires that might otherwise occur.

management, site: management of the physical condition of a heritage site, including visitor facilities and other structures.

management, visitor: management of visitors to a heritage site to minimise their adverse impacts on the site while maximising their enjoyment and satisfaction with their visits.

Mori Heritage Council: an eight-member group that provides input on relevant issues to the New Zealand Historic Places Trust.

market forces: the consumer-driven forces of a free market that some people claim should drive the availability and pricing of heritage services, and the financing of conservation efforts.

market segmentation: the separation of visitors into identifiable sub-groups with different desires and expectations when it comes to experiencing heritage properties.

marketing: more than merely selling heritage experiences, it also includes publicising sites and making them known to the public, and actively promoting the importance of heritage and its conservation.

meaning: understanding or perception of the significance of a site, and of other information about it, on the part of an individual, or as conveyed in a more formal way through interpretation and presentation

meaning, contested: a meaning that is not accepted by all. Because we all have our own perceptions, philosophies and backgrounds, we may well find different meanings and values in heritage items and heritage more generally.

midden deposits: mounds of empty shells of shellfish or other similar debris left by Australian Aborigines or other indigenous or prehistoric peoples.

Ministry for Culture and Heritage: the administration of the New Zealand Historic Places Trust and the Historic Places Act 1993 (NZ) were transferred to this ministry from the Department of Conservation in 1999.

Ministry of Cultural Property and Activities: instituted in 1998, this Italian ministry now has the cultural heritage functions, including 'landscape management', and maintains a cultural heritage database.

Ministry of Cultural Property and the Environment: this Italian ministry was instituted by a law of 1974 and had oversight of all heritage issues, but in 1998 these functions were split between the new Ministry of Cultural Properties and Activities (cultural heritage) and the Ministry of the Environment (natural heritage).

Ministry of Justice and Culture: originally had charge of the Fondo Edifici di Culto in Italy (established in 1987), though that agency is probably now in the Ministry of Cultural Property and Activities, established in 1998.

Ministry of Media, Culture and Sport: this United Kingdom ministry includes English Heritage.

Ministry of Public Buildings and Works: this United Kingdom ministry had responsibility for ancient monuments until 1984 when all cultural heritage responsibilities were combined in English Heritage.

Ministry of the Environment: French natural heritage at the national level, including the seven national parks, is under the management of this ministry.

Ministry of the Environment: Italy's natural heritage agency, the Nature Conservation Service or Servizio Conservazione della Natura, is in this ministry.

minority groups: groups within a nation, often indigenous or ethnic groups, that are less numerous and often overwhelmed or even subjugated by the majority group.

monitoring: constant, or at least frequent, measurement and evaluation to determine the success or otherwise of programs and the state of heritage sites and values.

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National Battlefield: a National Parks Service reserve to protect a historic battlefield within the USA, usually from either the American War of Independence or the Civil War.

National Cemetery: a reserve within the National Parks system that protects a cemetery for fallen US service personnel, Arlington being the best known.

National Estate Grants Program: a program of grants administered by the Australian Heritage Commission to channel federal funds into heritage research and, in certain circumstances, into restoration and conservation programs.

National Forest Park: the major reserve designation for natural heritage in China.

National Forestry Administration: the organisation at national level that manages natural reserves in China.

National Fund for Historic Monuments and Sites see Caisse Nationale des Monuments Historiques es des Sites (France)

National Heritage Convention: a large, representative gathering held in Canberra in August 1998 to discuss proposals for the new Australian federal heritage regime that is likely to come into being in 2002.

National Heritage Council: the national-level, post-apartheid South African heritage body established under the National Heritage Council Act 1999.

National Heritage Council Act 1999 (South Africa): the Act that established the South African National Heritage Council.

National Heritage List: under the proposed new federal heritage regime in Australia, this register will list those heritage items deemed to be of strictly national significance. It is likely to come into operation later in 2002.

National Heritage Resources Act 1999 (South Africa): the key legislation that establishes the post-apartheid heritage management regime in South Africa. It established the South African Heritage Resources Agency.

National Heritage Site: Under the post-1999 South African heritage system, Grade 1items of national significance are known as National Heritage Sites and are managed by the South African Resources Agency. Such sites include the most important of the former National Monuments.

National Historic Landmark: one of a number of reserve categories used by the US National Parks Service to protect sites with historical associations.

National Historic Monument: in the Republic of Ireland, a cultural heritage site of national significance administered under the National Monuments Act 1930 and the Heritage Act 1995. Preservation orders can be made and, if endangewred, the property can be transferred to Dúchas -- The Heritage Service.

National Historic Park: a category within the US National Parks system that applies to reserves with important historical associations that generally extend beyond single properties or buildings.

National Historic Preservation Act 1966 (USA): establishes the US National Register of Historic Places in its present form, and sets up the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation.

National Historic Site: reserves within the US National Parks system that generally contain a single significant historical feature.

National Inventory of Architectural Heritage: a Republic of Ireland register, administered by Dúchas -- The Heritage Service, of architecturally significant places of national significance.

National Lakeshore: shoreline reserves on the Great Lakes of the USA, administered by the National Parks Service.

National Marine Park: a Thai national park with a large marine component, although coastal areas and islands are also often included.

National Memorial: a reserve commemorating a historic person or episode, administered by the US National parks Service.

National Monument: in the USA, the Antiquities Act 1906 authorised the President to declare landmarks, structures and other objects of historic and scientific interest as National Monuments (so these can be items of either cultural heritage or natural heritage) -- these were brought into the National Parks Service system in 1933; in South Africa, large numbers of cultural heritage items at national, provincial and local scales were, prior to 1999, listed as National Monuments. The term is also used in the Republic of Ireland for items of cultural heritage with national significance.

National Monument Record: the main register of national-level cultural heritage sites in the United Kingdom since the late 1990s when the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England (which it replaced) was incorporated into English Heritage.

National Monuments Act 1930 (Ireland): the Act (amended a number of times, including in 1999) under which cultural heritage is administered in the Republic of Ireland. Preservation orders can be made under the Act, and endangered National Monuments can be transferred to Dúchas -- The Heritage Service

National Monuments Council: the South African body that oversaw the listing og buildings as National Monuments prior to the 1999 heritage legislation.

National Monuments Record of Scotland: a register compiled and maintained by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland.

National Nature Reserve: the major type of reserve in the United Kingdom administered by English Nature or Scottish Natural Heritage (National Parks are administered by autonomous authorities).

National Park: a designation for the most important natural reserves in many nations, normally those of national significance and administered by the national government and its agencies. In Australia, national parks are of national significance, but are, in most cases, administered by state and territory governments.

National Park Act 1961 (Thailand): legislation that places the management if National Parks under the Royal Forestry Department. It explicitly forbids most human activity within National Parks, though this is frequently ignored.

National Park Plan: under the Environment Act 1995, each National Park Authority in England and Wales is required to produce its own National Park Plan.

National Park Service: the national-level body administering, conserving and presenting a wide range of different types of reserve, including National Parks, in the USA. It was first established under the National Park Service Organic Act 1916 (USA).

National Park Service Organic Act 1916 (USA): the legislation that established the US National Park Service in 1916.

National Parks Act 1975 (Vic): allows for the gazettal of national parks and other reserves. The Act is administered by the Director of National Parks and Parks Victoria, both within the Department of Natural Resources and Environment.

National Parks Act 1980 (NZ): used in conjunction with the more recent Resource Management Act 1991 (NZ), this Act provides the framework for administration of New Zealand national parks and other reserves by the Department of Conservation.

National Parks Advisory Council: a body that provides advice to the Victorian Director of National Parks and Parks Victoria.

National Parks and Nature Conservation Authority: a Western Australian body in which are vested national parks and other reserves in that state. The Authority prepares policy and plans of management, although day-to-day management is undertaken by the Department of Conservation and Land Management.

National Parks and Wildlife Act 1970 (Tas): prior to 1995 this Tasmanian legislation dealt with historical and Aboriginal heritage as well, but its coverage is now limited to natural heritage reserves. It is administered by the Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service.

National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 (SA): legislation under which South Australian national parks and other natural heritage reserves are declared and administered.

National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 (NSW): the Act setting up the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service and covering the management of national parks and other types of reserve.

National Parks and Wildlife Service (NSW): the NSW state agency concerned with managing national parks and other reserves and with the recording and protection of Aboriginal heritage sites and artifacts. It was established under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 (NSW).

National Parks Association: a voluntary organisation which in NSW both provides support for the work of the National Parks and Wildlife Service and lobbies on behalf of national park issues and nature conservation more generally.

National Parks Conservation Association: a US voluntary organisation with aims parallel to those of the NSW Association (see above).

National Parkway: a US National Parks Service reserve consisting of parkland parallel a roadway to allow for scenic motoring along a protected corridor.

National Parks (Scotland) Act 2000 (UK -- Scotland): legislation passed following the devolution of much power to a separate Scottish Parliament in 1999. The first Scottish national park is expected to be operating by April 2002.

National Preserve: in the US, areas having many characteristics in common with national parks, but within which public trapping, hunting or oil and gas exploration and/or extraction are allowed to continue.

National Recreation Area: areas controlled by the US National Parks Service which are either centred on large reservoirs, or are near major population centres around which open space for recreation is scarce.

National Register of Historic Places: the national-level register of cultural heritage properties for the USA. It was established in its present form by the National Historic Preservation Act 1966 (US).

National Reserves System Cooperative Program: set up in Australia in 1992 as a cooperative program involving both federal and state/territory governments, and aiming to establish a national database as part of the process of achieving a representative reserve system across the continent.

National River: a section of stream controlled by the US National Parks Service; there are several variants, including National River and Recreation Area, National Scenic River, and National Wild River.

National Scenic Area: a Chinese designation for a reserve of national importance for its scenic values, including both natural and historic values.

National Seashore: a section of reserved ocean shoreline managed by the US National Parks Service: some areas are developed while others are relatively primitive.

National Strategy for the Conservation of Australia's Biodiversity: a cooperative approach to the conservation of biodiversity involving both federal and state and territory governments.

National Threatened Species Strategy: a cooperative approach to the preservation of endangered and threatened species in Australia involving both federal and state and territory governments.

National Trail: a linear area of parkland authorised under the National Trails System Act 1968 (US), and administered by the US National Parks Service. National Scenic Trails and national Historic Trails are sub-types.

National Trails System Act 1968 (USA): legislation under which the US National Trails system is established.

National Trust: the generic name for a series of voluntary organisations concerned with heritage conservation in many nations. More specifically, the body active in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, that owns and manages many cultural and natural heritage properties.

National Trust for Historical Preservation: the key US non-government organisation concerned with the preservation of historic and cultural built heritage. It lobbies government and runs a series of programs to involve local communities.

National Trust for Scotland: the main Scottish voluntary organisation that lobbies government on heritage matters and that owns, manages and presents heritage properties.

National Trust of Australia: the umbrella Australian National Trust organisation with semi-autonomous branches in each state and territory

National Wilderness Inventory: an Australian nation-wide database of wilderness areas.

Natura 2000: a program of the European Union set up in 2000 with the aim of preserving or re-establishing conservation management to protect a representative network of key natural sites significant at the European level for biodiversity conservation.

Natural Heritage Trust: a program introduced in Australia following the election of the Coalition Government in 1996. It provides federal funding for natural heritage conservation works with a large local content and backing.

Natural Monument: a type of natural heritage reserve in Spain.

Natural Preserve: a California natural reserve designation stressing the natural heritage significance of an area reserved under one of a number of titles.

Nature Conservation Service (Italy) see Servizio Conservazione della Natura

Nature Refuge: a nature conservation reserve in Queensland below the level of a National Park or Conservation Park.

Nature Reserve: a widely used term for a reserve with the specific purpose of conserving nature and biodiversity, as opposed to the often more generalist nature of a National Park: used in the ACT, NSW, Tasmania, Western Australia, Spain, Ireland, South Africa and China, among other places.

Navajo Parks and Recreation Department: the department of the Navajo Nation in the USA that is responsible for the Monument Valley Tribal park and other reserves.

New South Wales Heritage Database: an inventory of all heritage sites in the state that are significant at national, state or local level.

New South Wales Heritage Management System: operated by the Heritage Office and charged with investigating, assessing and managing heritage significance.

New Zealand Historic Places Trust: a non-government organisation that plays a role similar to the various National Trust bodies, though it is heavily funded by the NZ Government, is recognised under the Resource Management Act 1991 (NZ), and maintains the official national register of cultural heritage places. It also owns and manages a number of properties, provides advice, and lobbies for heritage conservation.

NFP see National Forest Park (China)

Nga Kairauhi Papa see Queen Elizabeth II National Trust for Open Space in NZ

NGO see non-government organisation

NHL see National Heritage List (Australia)

NHRA see National Heritage Resources Act (South Africa)

NHT see Natural Heritage Trust (Australia)

NLC see Northern Land Council (NT)

non-government organisation: an organisation separate from government agencies that normally relies on voluntary work and financial members.

Northern Land Council: an organisation representing traditional Aboriginal owners of land in the Northern Territory, including the area of the Kakadu National Park.

NP see national park

NPCA see National Parks Conservation Association (USA)

NPS see National Park Service (USA)

NPWS see National Parks and Wildlife Service (NSW)

NRHP see National Register of Historic Places (USA)

NSCAB see National Strategy for the Conservation of Australia's Biodiversity

NTHP see National Trust for Historical Preservation (USA)

NTS see National Trust for Scotland (UK)

NZHPT see New Zealand Historic Places Trust

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Office of Public Works: this Republic of Ireland agency fulfills a role similar to that of the Department of Public Works in many Australian states, but prior to the formation of Dúchas -- The Heritage Service in 1996, it also had responsibility under the National Monuments Act 1930 (Ireland) for national-level natural and cultural heritage sites.

Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention: the 'working instructions' for putting into effect the World Heritage Convention.