Places can become ruins because they lack a current purpose, are disused, have been abandoned or have been impacted by disaster. Ruins are challenging places to manage, and this guide has been designed to help the place owner or manager work through options that meet good heritage practice standards and offer potentially more flexible and creative approaches. This guide, published by the AHC on behalf of the Heritage Chairs and Officials of Australia and New Zealand (HCOANZ) was based on the Heritage Ruins and Dilapidated Structures Workshop held in Melbourne in April 2011, and facilitated by Chris Johnston/Context. The Guide was prepared by Context (Chris Johnston, Ian Travers, Jessie Briggs).