Understanding Our Heritage
There is a lot of misunderstanding and controversy surrounding the heritage industry. The purpose of this section is to give our followers an understanding of what built heritage is and why we feel it is so important to protect it. We detail the various types of heritage listings and the implications for owners of listed properties. Communities can often be outraged by plans to redevelop public heritage buildings but feel threatened if the council decide to put their own private homes on the local heritage list. Under the current system places and buildings can be identified as having heritage significance at any time as a result of a heritage study or via an individual submission to government. Listings can be controversial and take no account of the owner’s financial status. The process focuses purely on the merit of the case for heritage status according to a set criteria. The decision remains final although many argue that it should be subject to appeal. There is concern that the system often places a large burden on the property owner while the community gets much of the benefit. In this section we also list the different organisations that have been established to support the heritage conservation industry and our important Resources section helps you find the right place to source heritage products or the perfect skilled handyman to handle the job. We will also identify buildings that are at risk as a result of neglect, decay or inappropriate development, or are vulnerable to becoming so.
Click on the various sub-headings to learn more.
Chenchow Little’s residence in Sydney’s Balmain, Photographer: John Gollings