Conservation of Historic
Heritage Places
Public Inquiry

Submission from Maitland City Council PO Box 220
Maitland
2320

July 2005

As with many local government organisations, Maitland Council plays a leading role in the protection and promotion of heritage in the local region. The success of Council's efforts in heritage management is considered to be of key importance to the future of the City. The Maitland Local Environmental Plan (LEP) 1993 contains 6 heritage conservation areas and 238 individual heritage items.

In considering the key operational areas of Council with respect to heritage management, it is useful to refer to the broad terms of reference of the NSW Heritage Advisory Service Program, which are outlined below. Heritage Advisors are required to provide a report on these criteria to the NSW Heritage Office on an annual basis.

Education:

Measures taken to provide appropriate education to council staff and councillors in heritage matters.

Management:

a) The existence of a heritage committee to the council;
b) The existence of a comprehensive heritage survey of all of the heritage items in its area;
c) The number of heritage items listed under the council local environmental plan;
d) The use of other specific planning instruments such as development control plans to guide conservation of heritage items in the LGA.

Promotion:

a) The general promotion of heritage values to the community by various media formats;
b)The existence of local heritage fund to encourage owners to undertake conservation work;
c) The existence of other measures designed as incentives for heritage conservation;
d) The establishment/maintenance/enhancement of heritage trails; 
e) The active pursuit of heritage tourism.

Monitoring

a) Specific measures taken to address any shortcomings in Councils heritage management;
b) Achievement and losses in heritage throughout the year;
c) What specific advisory and other support provided to owners of heritage items;
d)	Specific support provided to a heritage committee.

Some of the opportunities and difficulties presented in addressing the above, in the context of the heads of consideration under this enquiry, are commented on below.

An overriding consideration is that the ability to effectively address many of these matters will often be dependant on available resources both within Council and the Community, in addition to access to funding streams.
Main pressures on the Conservation of historic heritage places
•	Lack of incentives for property owners to undertake major restoration and adaptive reuse projects;
•	Impacts of commercialization which can lead to the loss of authenticity of individual items and areas;
•	Lack of funding at a local level in particular for private owners;
•	Insufficient identification and protection of places of Aboriginal cultural significance, and lack of resources to establish Aboriginal Heritage programs;
•	Lack of resources to support local archival and history projects.

The economic, social and environmental benefits and costs of the conservation of historic heritage places in Australia
•	Heritage of the City used as a drawcard to launch community events reinforcing connections to place;
•	Reuse of structures, and protection of places of natural significance leading to requirements for plans of management;

•	Significant costs to local Council in the care and responsible management of Council owned heritage buildings, sites and infrastructure;
•	 and which will be dependant on a persons individual personal and cultural background. Heritage interpretation programs which reflect this will benefit and be of interest to a broader section of the community.
•	There could be benefits in providing for stronger networks within regional areas - pool areas in which research/projects to be undertaken. There are likely to be too many pressures to undertake such projects at present for local heritage managers, so additional resources would be required. The Flanders region in Belgium has set up an innovative program in this respect (as attached)