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Welcome
to the Heritage Office's new Local Government Heritage Guidelines. The
Guidelines have been written in plain English, in a user-friendly format to
assist local councils with heritage management. They explain in detail two
initiatives: the delegation of certain approval functions of the Heritage
Council of NSW to local councils and the authorisation for local councils to
make Interim Heritage Orders. The
delegations will further streamline the approvals system for those items
listed on the State Heritage Register, consistent with the review of Part 4
of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (EP&A Act).
The authorisation to make Interim Heritage Orders will support the powers of
local councils to manage local heritage. Local
government has played a pivotal role in heritage management in New South
Wales since 1985 when it was given responsibility for protecting local
heritage through the local environmental planning process, under the EP&A
Act. Today, local government fulfils its role largely through environmental
planning instruments such as regional and local environmental plans. The NSW
Heritage Office has provided various forms of assistance to local government
in the last few years to help it with its heritage responsibilities. It
established the Local Government Heritage Advisors Network and provides
training to Heritage Advisors. More recently, the Heritage Office released
the model heritage provisions for local environmental plans. The
delegation of approval functions, the authorisation to make Interim Heritage
Orders, and the Local Government Heritage Guidelines reflect the
Government's ongoing willingness to identify, and then provide local
government with the resources it needs to better manage local heritage. The
Heritage Office has a liaison officer who can assist your council with the
implementation of these new powers. If you would like to discuss any issues
relating to heritage management or the implementation of the new powers
please contact the Heritage Office on 02 9635 6155 and ask to speak to your
liaison officer. We welcome
any comments the community, local government and heritage practitioners may
have on the Local Government Heritage Guidelines. Please email these to Alice
Brandjes at brandja@heritage.nsw.gov.au Rosalind
Strong Director |
