source : the age
A draft state heritage strategy has called for stronger compliance and enforcement when owners and managers of heritage properties “aren’t doing the right thing” and buildings are at risk of falling apart.
Following Herald articles on the vandalised Paragon Cafe in Katoomba, where the owner was ordered last week by the Heritage Council of NSW to protect the property, owners of such holdings said they were a “black hole” of time, money and bureaucratic battles.
Damage and graffiti inside the Paragon.
Experts said it was often a case of too little help, too late.
During consultations with 1750 people, community groups and experts that led to the draft strategy, launched by NSW heritage minister Penny Sharpe, the government heard that cost was a major disincentive to owning and caring for heritage properties.
“What is regulated and the way it is regulated doesn’t always achieve the best results for heritage or owners,” the strategy said. “The costs and complexity of getting approvals can make owning heritage and making necessary upgrades expensive.”
A high-profile owner of a state-listed property in regional NSW said the situation with the Paragon was being repeated across the state. “We’re losing our heritage because of it,” he said.
The Paragon cafe. Credit: Dion Georgopoulos
“The government is not doing its best to maintain these structures, which are a big part of these communities. You have all this heritage-listed property in private hands, and there are no tax breaks or relief from council rates.”
The man, whose name was withheld for professional reasons, said he had spent millions on upkeep and security but found it difficult to find tradespeople and get affordable insurance.
The biggest threat to heritage properties was vandals, he said, who should face jail sentences and be forced to pay the cost of the damage.
Jane Ryder, an owner of a locally listed heritage property on the northern beaches, was glad to receive some financial help – about $2000 – from her local council for repairs to her art deco home that required specialist heritage trades. It took hours of time and extensive paperwork, and it was difficult to find qualified heritage tradespeople.
Launching the strategy at the National Trust’s awards, Sharpe said its key objectives “were to embrace and reflect the rich diversity of our heritage, empower owners to conserve heritage realise the benefits of heritage, and improve the state heritage system as it intersects with the planning system”.
She said heritage was “more than old buildings”, and it included intangible items such as stories, traditions, Aboriginal culture and landscapes, and events such as the Gay Mardi Gras parade.
Heritage was a crucial part of discussions about how the state delivered its target of delivering 377,000 new homes by 2029. “Proper consideration of heritage can enhance housing and contribute to the creation of vibrant communities,” Sharpe said.
The report identifies many problems. The existing Heritage Act does not establish a clear purpose for the State Heritage list, the register was incomplete and it didn’t include items that needed protection while including items that were insignificant. Only about 3 per cent of listings related to Indigenous culture or landscape.
David Burdon, conservation director of the National Trust NSW, said funding and resources was, as always, the biggest issue.
With about 40 per cent of the state’s 1750 items or properties owned or operated by state agencies, Burdon said the government had an opportunity to lead by example and utilise rather than “mothball assets” such as hospitals and pump houses that could be repaired and repurposed.
Burdon said grant funding should extend to smaller maintenance tasks such as a “single slipped slate on a roof” that prevents more expensive rectification later.
“As the Paragon has shown us, waiting until it is too late is always the most expensive option,” he said.
A submission by Local Government NSW said a heritage strategy could address potential confusion and conflict between “advocates of urban intensification and defenders of urban heritage” by including guiding principles to balance heritage preservation and urban intensification.
Jane Ryder at her art deco home. Credit: Wolter Peeters
Sharpe said NSW had never had a strategy to recognise, protect and enhance heritage, and she encouraged the public to have a say on the draft before Sunday, July 13.
The National Trust awards included several projects that illustrated how heritage can be reused and adapted. The winner of the trust’s award for architecture was the adaptation of Workmen’s Dwellings Lower Fort Street, Dawes Point, by Neeson Murcutt Neille. The jury said it balanced contemporary liveability with the retention of heritage.
