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Top: Repainted shopfronts in the Riverina town of Coolamon are credited with a revival in local business Bottom: The main street of Lockhart, another heritage fund success story |
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To some, "heritage" means little more than a range of paint colours at the
local hardware store. But retaining and restoring our stock of early
buildings is important, and a growth industry, argues Heritage Advisor,
Simon Lloyd. Here he charts the "Heritage Main Street" revolution.
In recent years the revitalisation of traditional main street precincts has
become an important economic issue for Australian communities, urban and
rural. Restored and repainted buildings can make a significant impact on
main street vitality, and this has prompted the NSW State government to
introduce heritage grant schemes to provide funding and expertise.
Under the scheme, funding is available to pay some of the costs of
restoring facades and verandahs, repainting in period colours, and for
conservation studies and plans. Architects and other professionals can also
be employed as advisors to help local councils and communities protect
their heritage assets.
The resulting streetscape improvements can bring significant economic
benefits to the community through improved trade and tourism, as well as
enhancing the sense of local pride. The upgrading works themselves provide
employment opportunities for local architects, builders and tradespeople,
and involve the purchase of products such as paving materials, street
furniture and lighting. Dennis McManus, Senior Heritage Officer with the
NSW Heritage Office, says that main street programs originated in the
United States where traditional shopping streets were under threat from
giant shopping malls.
Mr McManus points out that main street programs promote the adaptive reuse
of existing building stock. In most country towns this is the only
alternative, as the investment opportunities for new development do not
exist. 'It is the existing qualities of rural main streets which can
attract tourism and business, and one of the easiest ways to make a main
street look good is painting in heritage colours and removal of poor
signage.'
Lockhart, a small town in the NSW Riverina, is a good example of what can
be achieved through a heritage streetscape scheme. In the late 1980s, this
town was economically 'on the skids', with half the shops empty. In 1990,
every one of the 30 buildings in the main street was restored following a
$6,000 conservation study. A $15,000 NSW heritage grant was allocated by
way of $500 to assist each owner for the proposed work. Estimated cost of
the total project was $65,000. The local Shire Council has complemented the
private work with period-style paving, lighting and street furniture in
public areas. Today, nearly every shop in Lockhart is filled, and a
successful tourism campaign has been developed around the theme of "the
verandah town".
Jan Lucas, Streetscape Coordinator for the nearby town of Coolamon, agrees
that heritage funding can have a huge impact on the local economy,
'Businesses have been attracted to the town which would never have come
here if the main street didn't look so attractive'.
Coolamon's main street upgrade has also generated work for local
tradespeople such as builders and sign writers. The visibility of their
work in the street is a major factor. Says Ms Lucas, 'People would walk
down the street, see someone working on a shop front, and ask, "Will you
come and do something for me?"' Paint companies and colour consultants also
found their products and services in demand. Complementary public works by
the shire council have resulted in the purchase of commercial pavers, while
a local firm won a contract to manufacture steel waste bins.
Lockhart and Coolamon are just two of the many NSW towns using heritage
funding to improve their streetscapes. The revitalization of main streets
represents a growing opportunity for local businesses, conservation
architects, suppliers of heritage products, builders and tradespeople.
For more information contact Dennis McManus or Victoria Throp at the
Heritage Office on (02) 9849 9576.
First printed in Architectural Product News.
Go to Article 1 - Local Government
