Along with the National Trust, there are a number of organisations that play a key role in the conservation of heritage places in Western Australia.

Heritage Council of Western Australia

The Heritage Council of Western Australia provides legal protection to places that have been assessed as being important to the State of Western Australia. The Heritage Council does this by maintaining the State Register of Heritage Places established  under the Heritage of Western Australia Act 1990. The register includes buildings, structures, gardens, cemeteries, landscapes, archaeological sites and more. Entry is assessed on aesthetic, historic, scientific and social values, rarity and representativeness. If a place is included in the State Register of Heritage Places, any changes or works that may affect the significance of that place are required to be referred to the Heritage Council for advice.

Local Governments

Local governments have the power to protect heritage places through their local planning schemes. This is done by requiring approval for any development which affect a place listed within the local planning scheme. Generally, approval would be needed to internal and external alterations to the place or demolition.

Department of Indigenous Affairs

The Department of Indigenous Affairs administers the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972. This Act automatically applies to places and objects which are important to Aboriginal culture in Western Australia. The department maintains the Register of Aboriginal Sites. The Act makes it an offence to damage an Aboriginal place or object without approval whether it is on the register or not.

Department of Environment and Conservation

The Department of Environment and Conservation is responsible for the protection of Western Australia’s natural environment. This includes regulating aspects of the use of Western Australia’s natural resources and carrying out regulatory functions to achieve improved environmental outcomes. Along with this the department manages the State’s national parks, marine parks, conservation parks, and State Forests.

If you are interested in how heritage works or have a heritage place and are interested in what that means, the Environment Defenders Office have produced a comprehensive factsheet.