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'An aphorism, properly stamped and molded, has not been "deciphered" when it has simply been read; rather one has then to begin its interpretation, for which is required an art of interpretation.' -- Nietzsche, 'On the Genealogy of Morals'

conserving heritage places « Previous | |Next »
August 2, 2009

I've just come across the Productivity Commission's Conservation of Australia’s Historic Heritage Places (2006) and it aroused my interest in the light of my brief photography trip to Broken Hill. This city is well known for mining by BHP, and the city is beginning to consider how to best conserve its heritage places to attract tourists.

The Commission's Report strikes the right notes. It says that:

Historic heritage places are important, providing a sense of identity and a connection to our past and to our nation. For the purposes of this inquiry, they include: built structures, such as houses, factories, commercial buildings, places of worship, cemeteries, monuments and built infrastructure such as roads, railways and bridges; physically created places and landscapes, such as gardens, stock routes and mining sites; and other places of historic significance, such as archaeological sites and the landing place of Captain Cook at Botany Bay.

It adds that the benefits of historic heritage places include the nature and extent of the cultural values they provide to different individuals and groups in the community. These are in addition to the use and enjoyment benefits provided to their owners. Some historic heritage places have significance only locally, or for a particular group, while for other places the scope of their significance is more general and extends to a State or Territory.The Commission adds that:
The cultural significance of historic heritage places can change over time as community values evolve. Nonetheless, the cultural values provided by an individual place depend on properly maintaining the features of the property that provide them. In addition to normal maintenance, such conservation includes preservation, restoration, reconstruction, adaptation and interpretation.

'Tis hard to disagree with any of that, or with the cost benefit analysis framework adopted by the Commission----for government intervention to be warranted, the extra benefits to the community need to be greater than the added costs of that intervention.

No problems for Broken Hill, as its economy increasingly depends on tourism as the mining comes to an end.

The Commission goes on to say that government intervention to achieve extra conservation of privately-owned historic heritage places should be targeted to where the intervention is likely to result in net benefits for their community. Such targeting would involve considering the added costs of conservation and assessment of net community benefit after assessment of heritage significance and before regulatory controls are applied through statutory listing. To encourage such considerations, private owners should be given the right to appeal listing on the grounds of ‘unreasonable costs’.

| Posted by Gary Sauer-Thompson at 3:11 PM |