8.4 Response

The ACT Government manages the pressures affecting heritage in the ACT in a variety of ways, which are examined in detail in Chapter 10. Particular features of heritage management and responses from the reporting period are included in this section, along with a summary of the findings of the management effectiveness assessment relevant to heritage.

The management effectiveness assessment found that there are effective statutory, planning and policy frameworks in place to support heritage management in the ACT. There is a good understanding by heritage managers of the values of heritage places and objects, and the main impacts on these, but the lack of condition monitoring limits the knowledge of actual impacts that may be occurring. The assessment found that there is an improving consideration of landscapes in the assessment of places and objects, and a growing focus on strategic management.

8.4.1 Legal and policy framework

The Heritage Act provides specific protection for local heritage assets. The Heritage Act requires the establishment of the ACT Heritage Council and the ACT Heritage Register. Under the Heritage Act, heritage places and objects are listed on the register by the council.¹¹ Places and objects must meet at least one of the following criteria to be entered onto the ACT Heritage Register:²⁷

• importance to the course or pattern of the ACT’s cultural or natural history
• uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of the ACT’s cultural or natural history
• potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of the ACT’s cultural or natural history
• importance in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a class of cultural or natural places or objects
• importance in exhibiting particular aesthetic characteristics valued by the ACT community or a cultural group in the ACT
• importance in demonstrating a high degree of creative or technical achievement for a particular period
• a strong or special association with the ACT community, or a cultural group in the ACT for social, cultural or spiritual reasons
• a special association with the life or work of a person, or people, important to the history of the ACT.

Any person can nominate a place or object for registration, and each nomination is assessed by the ACT Heritage Council as part of the registration process.²⁸ Once a place or object is registered, it is afforded protection under the Act. All Aboriginal heritage is protected, whether or not it is on the ACT Heritage Register.

The key national heritage legislation is the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). The EPBC Act protects national heritage, world heritage and Commonwealth heritage places.²⁹ Under the EPBC Act, national heritage places are described as ‘natural, historic and Aboriginal places that are of outstanding national value to the Australian nation’ and are recorded on the National Heritage List. ACT places on the National Heritage List include the Australian War Memorial and Anzac Parade.

The EPBC Act also establishes a Commonwealth Heritage List, which includes natural, Aboriginal and historic places on Commonwealth land identified by the responsible Minister as having Commonwealth heritage value and reflecting Australia’s development as a nation. There are several examples of Commonwealth-listed heritage places in the ACT, including the High Court of Australia, Old Parliament House and the Sculpture Garden at the National Gallery of Australia.

8.4.2 Management of pressures

The protection of heritage in the ACT is managed by the ACT Heritage Council as an independent statutory body established under the Heritage Act. The ACT Heritage Council is assisted by ACT Heritage within the ACT Environment and Planning Directorate, which provides administrative support to the council and advice to the Minister for Planning about the range of heritage matters for which they are responsible.

The ACT Heritage Council’s responsibilities include:

• identifying, assessing, conserving and promoting heritage
• making decisions about registration of heritage places and objects
• providing advice on work and development that may impact heritage places or objects
• assisting with appropriate management of places and objects.

In line with these responsibilities, the ACT Heritage Council and ACT Heritage provide services and advice to the Government and the community. For example, the ACT Government supports a free Heritage Advisory Service, which provides limited technical advice to owners of heritage-listed houses and owners of commercial property with heritage value. The service is provided by Phillip Leeson Architects, and provides guidance on works, alterations and additions, including renovating or extending a heritage place. In 2011–2015, the service advised on approximately 55 matters each year.

Redevelopment within heritage precincts may be seen to amount to a loss of heritage, but it is important that residents in these areas be allowed to adapt their homes to changing lifestyles and technologies. The ACT Heritage Council has developed Heritage Guidelines and policy to guide development in these areas while retaining maximum heritage value. For example, the installation of solar panels may pose a risk to the visual integrity of heritage buildings. The ACT Heritage Council has developed a policy to guide installation of services on heritage places, including solar panels, to minimise impacts while allowing modernisation and increasing long-term sustainability.

ACT Heritage is also responsible for the monitoring and enforcement of compliance with the Heritage Act. The 2011 State of the Environment Report and the 2010 review into the Heritage Act both highlighted a lack of resources to undertake these activities. During this reporting period, a compliance enforcement policy has been completed and two officers have been trained in compliance investigations in an effort to improve compliance monitoring.

Promotion and engagement

The ACT Government aims to develop infrastructure and events to support community understanding and appreciation of ACT heritage. For example, during 2011–2015:

• 32 interpretive signs were erected at a number of heritage sites in the ACT. Canberra Tracks–branded panels include the Northern and Southern Centenary border walks, and the Gungahlin and Belconnen self-drive heritage trails
• the Canberra and Region Heritage Festival was held over 15 days each April. The theme of the festival was ‘Innovation’ in 2012, ‘Milestones’ in 2013 (celebrating the centenary of Canberra), ‘Journeys’ in 2014 and ‘Conflict and Compassion’ in 2015 (celebrating the centenary of ANZAC). Each festival has around 120 events showcasing the region’s Aboriginal, natural and built heritage.

The ACT Government also provides Heritage Grants for conservation management plans, heritage surveys and histories, signage/interpretation, and small-scale physical conservation works for places and objects (see Case study 8.3). The grants program is one of the major mechanisms the ACT Government uses to support awareness of heritage within the community.