The State Heritage Council can protect a property if it considers that a place has sufficient heritage significance to justify its preservation or that a place should be evaluated to determine whether its heritage value justifies its preservation. If the Council considers it necessary to protect that property, the Council can make an order stopping any work to a place or prohibiting the commencement of any work that might reduce or destroy the heritage significance of the place [Heritage Places Act 1993 (SA) s 30(1)]. A stop order can be used to delay a proposal to demolish a building with heritage value pending the authority's evaluation of the matter.

A stop order only lasts for 12 working days after it has been served unless, within that time, the State Heritage Council applies to the Environment Resources and Development Court to have the order confirmed. When making a stop order the State Heritage Council must also provisionally enter the place in the Heritage Register (see Entry onto the State Heritage Register) [s 30(3)(b)].

A person who disobeys a stop order may be fined up to $500,000 and a corporation that disobeys a stop order may be fined up to $1,000,000 [s 30(6)].