Having been assessed against a set list of criteria, once a place is put on the National Heritage List, the provisions of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) apply.

The National Heritage List was established in 2003 by an amendment to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

[5] To be included on the list, a nominated place is assessed by the Australian Heritage Council against nine criteria:[6] In addition, the place must pass a "significance threshold"; it must have 'outstanding' heritage value to the nation as a whole.

Once the Heritage Council has made an assessment, it forwards a recommendation to the Minister for the Environment, who shall make a determination.

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