Our infrastructure assets such as lines of roads, bridges and wharves capture the story of two centuries of the state’s settlement and development. Roads and Maritime also makes a significant contribution to the identification and investigation of Aboriginal cultural heritage in NSW.

A large amount of infrastructure that still meets its intended purpose, and which influenced the shape of settlement of New South Wales over more than two centuries represents designs and technology no longer in current use. This heritage in lines of road, bridges, milestones, wharves and navigation markers – reflect changing technology of transport and construction, economic cycles and social evolution. Some of this heritage is considered to be of state or national heritage significance. As well as its own heritage, the continuing development of the state’s road network and maritime zones has the potential to affect Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal heritage sites through road construction and widening or the replacement of existing infrastructure.

Roads and Maritime’s heritage role is to ensure that it minimises adverse impact to heritage places and values through early identification and assessment of potential heritage impacts, consultation with the community, stakeholders and regulators and making sure that heritage is considered throughout the planning, design and construction process. Find out more about heritage assets and movable heritage.