Due Diligence Assessment

Home / Services / Cultural Heritage / Due Diligence Assessment

Identify and Manage Risks Anywhere Throughout Australia

Cultural heritage due diligence assessments are a critical foundation for informed, responsible, and efficient project decision‑making.

Due diligence assessments provide proponents with a clear understanding of cultural heritage considerations early in project planning, improving the quality and certainty of information available about heritage values, constraints, opportunities, costs, and opportunities before key decisions are made.

Our cultural heritage due diligence assessments systematically identify and assess potential risks associated with a defined activity or development footprint. This includes evaluating the likelihood of impacts on Aboriginal and historical cultural heritage places and understanding the cultural, social, and legal significance of those places to Traditional Owners and other stakeholders.

By clearly articulating heritage risks and sensitivities, ACHM works with projects leaders to ensure harm minimisation wherever possible, through informed design, staging, and pro-active management strategies.

Early and robust due diligence reduces project uncertainty, approval delays, and reputational risk. It demonstrates a proactive and responsible approach to heritage management, supports meaningful engagement with Traditional Owners, and helps ensure compliance with relevant cultural heritage legislation.

Ultimately, ACHM’s due diligence assessments provide clients with confidence, clarity, and a defensible basis for approvals and project delivery, while supporting respectful engagement with Traditional Owners and stakeholders.

Why Choose ACHM

Experienced Team

Our anthropologists and archaeologists bring decades of skill and expertise to every project.

Nationwide Reach

From urban developments to remote communities, we operate across Australia.

Reputation of Excellence

Trusted by clients for our professionalism, accuracy, and commitment to cultural preservation.

Let’s Get Your Project Started

Whether you’re planning a major infrastructure project, navigating regulatory requirements, or seeking expert heritage advice, ACHM is here to help.

How we do it

The types of risks encountered in cultural heritage include:

accidental archaeological or ethnographic site destruction;
prosecution;
damage to stakeholder relationships;
time delays, and
major cost overruns.

Benefits of this service

Undertaking due diligence assessments for a project where cultural heritage may be an issue will:

save time and money

Identify and address potential risks to keep projects on time and on budget

Preservation

Assist in avoiding unintended harm to Aboriginal places or objects

Positive Relationships

Stay informed of cultural heritage to preserve valued lands and maintain good relationships with all stakeholders

Confidence

Provide certainty to landowners, managers and developers about appropriate cultural heritage management strategies to ensure the desired outcomes

Case Studies

Testimonials

Mandy Edwards

Sector Manager | Millar Merrigan

ACHM has consistently provided us with expert advice on Aboriginal cultural heritage matters, including the preparation of Cultural Heritage Management Plans. They’re great to work with—professional, competitively priced, and reliable in meeting timeframes. Their practical approach and responsiveness make them a valued partner on our projects.

Ed Armstrong

Chief Executive Officer | Banjima Native Title Aboriginal Corporation

ACHM are engaged extensively across Banjima Country and they provide exceptional expertise, professionalism, customer service and a genuine passion for preserving and promoting cultural heritage. ACHM goes beyond mere consultancy through consistently delivering professional services, solutions and best practice in every thing they do.

Jordan Bell

Senior Development Manager | Dav Consulting

We recently engaged ACHM to manage extensive Cultural Heritage Artefact Salvage Operations for an expansive and complex greenfields development site on north side of Melbourne. The diligence, open communication, efficiency and positive outcomes achieved by the ACHM Team, including in their coordination and management of the local RAP, was first class, and made my job as Development Manager substantially easier. Cannot recommend highly enough

Chris Monahan

Senior Development Manager | Avid

I have been a client of ACHM for over a decade and have engaged their services across four large-scale projects. Throughout this time, their dedication and professionalism have remained consistently impressive. ACHM excels at managing client expectations while operating sensitively within complex environments. They are highly skilled at guiding clients through cultural heritage approval processes, striking the delicate balance between client priorities and cultural sensitivities. I highly recommend ACHM for their expertise and commitment.

Fionna Warren and Chanz Crowley

ABIGroup

We wish to thank yourself, Erica Walther and Shaun Canning who have at all times been professional, free to discuss potential options and provide feedback on the status of the Cultural Heritage Management Plans. We have found the ACHM team to be knowledgeable and very easy to deal with.

Dylan McWhinney

Environmental Coordinator, GMW Connections Project

ACHM have provided us with numerous due diligence assessments and Cultural Heritage Management Plans to both standard and complex level. They approach their scope with our project timeframes and budgets in mind, and I know I can rely on them to get the best outcome for these projects. ACHM provide pragmatic staff with great traditional owner relationships allowing for quick turnaround times.