The primary beneficiaries of heritage conservation are the local community.
What is Heritage?
The Heritage of a community includes all of the written and oral histories and the traditions of that community. It includes all the artefacts, the built environment, the cultural landscapes, the transport routes of the distant and recent past. The heritage of a community is the sum of these parts, and their loss reduces the connection of the community to its heritage.
What are Heritage Sites?
These include landscapes such as gardens and particular rural settings, transport routes - old road alignments and railways, industrial sites and structures, sites of agricultural activity and related buildings and cemeteries. Some sites of former activity have few visible traces but have potential archaeological interest.
Heritage sites are not restricted to the abodes of the rich and famous; the humble cottage dwelling from the great depression is as evocative of our past as the imposing town residence, and the simple station hut is as the large homestead.
Heritage sites do not have to be pure and unaltered, or frozen in time to have value. In fact sites with many successive alterations can tell us more about changing local needs.
Why keep Heritage, and how much do we need?
The primary beneficiaries of heritage conservation are the local community. Heritage sites reflect triumphs and failures, they can be beautiful or forlorn but they are part of everyone's surroundings and contribute to the communities sense of belonging or feeling at home. The decision to keep heritage is the responsibility of the community.
Council has engaged the services of a heritage advisor to provide advice on heritage matters within the Bland Shire Local Government Area. The purpose of the heritage advisor is to assess and provide advice on whether proposed works such as painting or alterations to a building with heritage values is appropriate for that building. Heritage can be specific to the building and or/character of the broader streetscape, for example; The Main Street of West Wyalong. Reports can be provided at no cost to support development applications.
The heritage advisor is currently available 2 days per month to provide this service. Face to face meetings can be scheduled if requested.
Should you wish to get some heritage advice on a building or proposed works to a building, or book in to see the heritage advisor, please send your enquiry to the Development and Regulatory Services team on 6972 2266 or council@blandshire.nsw.gov.au and we will provide a response.
Local Heritage Assistance Fund
Aim of the Fund
The Local Heritage Assistance Fund aims to encourage as much positive work on heritage items in the area as possible. In the past, many grant programs were for individual buildings only. This program will provide kick start funding to encourage the joint funding of a number of projects. In the process, it is hoped that this will engender a greater interest and concern for conservation for other heritage items within the Council's area.
Heritage Funding Guidelines
Heritage Grant Application Form
For more information about how to apply please contact Council's Development and Regulatory Services team on 6972 2266 to discuss your proposal.