The New South Wales State Heritage Register (also known as NSW State Heritage Register, is a heritage list of places in the state of New South Wales, Australia, that are protected by New South Wales legislation, generally covered by the Heritage Act, 1977 (NSW) and its 2010 amendments. The register is administered by the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage, a division of the Government of New South Wales Department of Planning and Environment.
The register was created in 1999 and contains over 20,000 statutory-listed items in either public or private ownership of historical, cultural, and architectural value for the whole of New South Wales. This includes items protected by heritage schedules to local environmental plans, regional environmental plans or by the State Heritage Register. The items include buildings, objects, monuments, Aboriginal places, gardens, bridges, landscapes, archaeological sites, shipwrecks, relics, bridges, streets, industrial structures and conservation precincts.
The Heritage Council of New South Wales, a statutory body appointed by the NSW Government and comprising members of the community, the government, the conservation profession and representatives of organisations such as the National Trust of Australia, makes decisions about the care and protection of heritage places and items that have been identified as being significant to the people of NSW. The Council provides advice on heritage matters to the Minister responsible for heritage in NSW, presently Gabrielle Upton MP, entitled the Minister for Heritage. The Council recommends to the Minister places and objects for listing on the State Heritage Register.
The work of the Council and the State Heritage Register is generally covered by the Heritage Act, 1977 (NSW) and its 2010 amendments. Under section 170 of the Act, government agencies in New South Wales are required to compile a register of heritage assets and look after their assets on behalf of the community. Other legislation preserves Aboriginal heritage.