Maritime heritage for coastal and waterway projects.
Ports, jetties, dredging, cables and foreshore works can affect shipwrecks, wharves, slipways and coastal places that tell the story of how Australia was reached and settled. We assess what is there and what the law asks of your project, above and below the waterline.
From the shoreline to the seabed.
We start with the wreck and heritage databases, then inspect the foreshore and bring in specialist divers or survey data where the seabed needs a closer look.
- Searches of the Australasian Underwater Cultural Heritage Database and state registers
- Foreshore, jetty, wharf and slipway inspections
- Review of side scan sonar, magnetometer and bathymetry data for heritage
- Advice on permits and protected zones under the Underwater Cultural Heritage Act 2018
A clear position for your approvals.
Reports set out what is known, what was checked and what the project needs to do next.
- Database and register search results
- Mapped known and potential maritime heritage
- Photographs and recording of foreshore features
- Recommendations, permit needs and finds procedures
How pricing works
Quotes are itemised by day rate, travel, vehicle and equipment, and reporting. Desktop assessments are usually a fixed fee. Field inspections and specialist survey input are quoted separately.
Send the site location, the work program, your preferred dates and any approval or agreement conditions. We confirm scope, availability and price before work is booked.
Qualifications
Each task is carried out by personnel holding the qualifications it requires in that state, such as a degree in archaeology or a recognised heritage advisor role where the law asks for one. Details are supplied with the quote or before mobilisation on request.
Frequently asked questions
Are shipwrecks protected?
Yes. Shipwrecks over 75 years old and some other underwater cultural heritage are protected under the Underwater Cultural Heritage Act 2018, and states have their own protections. Some have protected zones around them.
Do you dive?
Underwater inspection is arranged through specialist commercial dive teams, with our staff directing the heritage work from the surface.
Is Aboriginal heritage part of a maritime assessment?
It can be. Coastal and river places often hold Aboriginal cultural heritage, so we check for it and work with the Aboriginal party for the area.