Harbour Trust planning framework
The Harbour Trust’s statutory and non-statutory plans articulate the vision for its protected sites and outline how this vision will be implemented.
Established in accordance with the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust Act 2001, the Harbour Trust’s Comprehensive Plan is a broad strategic plan that sets out the vision for its sites and provides a framework for their ongoing use.
The Comprehensive Plan is supported by more detailed management plans that prescribe desired outcomes for specific sites or buildings, including suitable uses and how each site’s heritage values are proposed to be interpreted.
Whilst not a statutory requirement, master plans put forward a future vision of place. Proposals for implementing master plans must address the statutory plans and would be subject to a detailed planning assessment.
To view the comprehensive, management and master plans, visit: Planning and permits.
Corporate plan (2024 to 2028)
Additionally, the Harbour Trust delivers against commitments outlined in its Corporate Plan. This resource, renewed each year, outlines the agency’s plans and priorities for the next four years.
Environmental Management Plans
Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP)
Stakeholder Engagement Strategy
Published in 2022, our Stakeholder Engagement Strategy outlines our approach to engaging with a diverse set of community stakeholders. This strategy is assisting us to fulfil our vision, which includes making our protected places accessible to diverse audiences, amplifying their heritage values through storytelling and – through their conservation, remediation, and adaptive reuse – fostering a sense of place and belonging.
For further information, visit: Community and committees
Emissions Reduction Plan
In June 2024, the Harbour Trust approved an Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) for its own operations, in accordance with the Government’s ‘Net Zero in Government Operations Strategy’. The ERP sets out a range of practical measures for the Harbour Trust to achieve net zero emissions by 2030.
Heritage Strategy
As required by the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 the Harbour Trust has prepared a Heritage Strategy to provide for the protection of the Commonwealth Heritage places under its control. The Harbour Trust’s current Heritage Strategy was endorsed by the Minister for the Environment and Energy’s delegate in 2016.