The application of assessment of cumulative impacts in cultural heritage management: A critique

This paper questions the application of Assessment of Cumulative Impact (ACI) to Cultural Heritage Management (CHM) in Australia. ACI considers the potential impact of a proposal in the context of existing developments and future developments to ensure that any potential environmental impacts are not considered in isolation. But what applicability does the concept of ACI have for CHM? For a variety of reasons the answer is probably 'not a lot'. The fundamentals necessary for such an approach simply do not exist, including determining the datum, determining an acceptable threshold and determining when the threshold has been exceeded. The continuing application of qualitative processes such as significance assessment, along with mandated approaches such as the social license to operate and the limits of acceptable change provide a more robust framework for CHM than quasi-scientific approaches that fail to meet minimum quantitative bases for their application.