Local government is the focus of much of the work of the Heritage Council and Heritage Office. This is not surprising. The great bulk of the 20,000 heritage items on statutory lists are listed and managed by local councils. Over 40% of the heritage funding last year was directed to local government projects. We are in constant daily contact with local councils, the majority of which now benefit from heritage advice from an advisor or staff planner.

So I am always pleased to receive requests from councils keen to involve me in their heritage activities. I was therefore delighted to be asked to present Hastings Council's inaugural heritage and design awards in May. It was a delightful occasion on a beautifully warm autumn day. Awards programs like these perform a great service by recognising and applauding the good things ordinary people are doing to enhance the built environment.

After the ceremony I was taken on a tour of the newly conserved award-winning Royal Hotel, now firmly re-established as a popular venue in its prime position on the waterfront.

At a busy Heritage Council meeting a couple of weeks later we looked at two projects nearing completion that will help councils to manage their heritage even better. The community-based heritage study guidelines, based on a model developed in Western Australia, describe a process that involves the community directly in the work of identifying the heritage places that are important to them.

At the other end of the process the model local environmental plan provides a useful template to help councils translate heritage study findings into a sound planning document.

This issue of Heritage NSW looks at another benefit arising from the partnership between local councils and the Heritage Office. Penrith City Council is one of the first councils to contribute information gathered in its Heritage Study to the State Heritage Inventory database. This means that everyone will have simple and direct access to this valuable heritage information. We should not underestimate the importance of this, knowledge, after all, is power.