COLCO CULTURAL HERITAGE MANAGEMENT
Aboriginal & historic heritage · ACT & NSW

Get your development through heritage — without the surprises.

COLCO is a Canberra-based cultural heritage consultancy led by Dr Sophie Collins: a PhD archaeologist who spent years assessing heritage inside the ACT regulator, and is an approved Excavation Director for State Heritage Register sites in NSW. You get senior judgement that anticipates what assessors will ask — so your application is right the first time.

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COLCO archaeological test excavation underway in the field, capital region
Why developers choose COLCO

Senior expertise that de-risks approvals

1
Assessed from the regulator’s side. Dr Collins worked within the ACT Heritage Unit, advising the Heritage Council. She knows what a defensible assessment looks like — because she used to review them.
2
NSW-approved Excavation Director. Approved to direct excavation on both historic and Aboriginal sites on the State Heritage Register — a credential most consultants can’t claim.
3
25 years, 200+ assessments. A long track record across the ACT, NSW, Tasmania and Queensland, with a near-zero record of approval surprises.
4
Senior-led, never offloaded. Every project is led by Dr Collins and delivered by an experienced team — specialist-firm seniority, without your job being passed down to juniors and forgotten.
25+
years’ experience
150+
heritage projects
200+
reports authored
4
states & territories
Services

Heritage assessment, end to end

COLCO manages the whole process — from the first desktop assessment and Aboriginal community consultation, through permits, survey, salvage and monitoring, to final reporting and sign-off. One firm, start to finish, in both the ACT and NSW.

Cultural heritage assessment

Aboriginal and historic assessments — ACHARs in NSW, CHAs and SHEs in the ACT — including due diligence, the sensible first step.

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Permits & approvals

AHIP applications in NSW, ACT excavation permits, and Section 60 approvals for historic heritage — managed end to end.

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ACT heritage (Heritage Act 2004)

CHAs, SHEs and excavation permits under the Heritage Act 2004, with the regulator insight only a former ACT Heritage assessor brings.

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Heritage & conservation management plans

HMPs, CMPs and ongoing heritage management for large, staged and long-running sites.

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Survey, excavation & salvage

Archaeological survey, test excavation and salvage — directed by a NSW-approved Excavation Director.

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Co-design, inductions & monitoring

Aboriginal partnership and co-design strategies, site heritage inductions, and construction monitoring.

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Both sides of the border

One firm for the ACT and NSW

Most heritage firms are oriented to either Sydney or the big end of town. COLCO is built for the capital region — Canberra, Queanbeyan, Goulburn, the Snowy Monaro and the South Coast — where projects routinely cross the ACT/NSW border and each jurisdiction has its own rules.

COLCO works fluently across the ACT’s Heritage Act 2004 and the NSW framework under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974, so a cross-border project doesn’t mean two firms and two learning curves.

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Heritage on your project? Get an honest read before it costs you time.

Speak with the COLCO team, led by Dr Sophie Collins — senior heritage expertise for the capital region. Canberra-based, servicing the ACT and NSW.

Request a consultation