Public Participation

What an exciting time to be involved in Heritage. As we are all forced to work from home and limit our movements to our immediate vicinity, we are given the opportunity to appreciate our surrounding built and environmental Heritage.

As we take our restricted walks along with our parks, waterways and streets, we have all become a little more curious about our immediate environs. What is the story behind that old sandstone house on the corner? I want to know about that place marker on my trail walk? Why is this park even here? Even more personally, why is my house
heritage, and can I extend into my courtyard?

Often a google search will lead us to a website and images of a band of tireless volunteers who have, unbeknown to many of us, fought the good fight to protect these community treasures. Those volunteer groups Women in Heritage are the essence and basis of the philosophy that underlies the core value of the Heritage Act (NSW) 1977 and, more broadly, our Planning framework.

The law alone cannot enforce the common interest. It principally needs community knowledge and support, which entails greater public participation in the decisions that affect the environment.
Brundtland Report https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/5987our-common-future.pdf

Right now in NSW, our Heritage Act is Under review. Submissions have been called and closed. A thorough review of the Heritage Act has not occurred since 1999. Should we be concerned? Well, time will tell. In the process of Public Participation, the NSW Government has called upon a Discussion paper and called submission from Stakeholders. https://www.heritage.nsw.gov.au/assets/A-Review-of-Heritage-Legislation-discussion-paper.pdf

BEHG will review the progress of the discussion paper and explore discussion through articles, blogs and updates all through the lens of general Heritage provisions. We will try to explain where our Heritage is today, understand why we are here, what we fought for and more importantly, what must change.

We will aim to generate Public Participation through respect and understanding. Heritage should be inclusive in its layers of expression through an appreciation of place and an awareness of how Heritage is protected.

We will travel locally, across Australia and Internationally, interviewing key stakeholders and showcasing projects, looking at world best practices for Heritage across neighbourhoods, landscapes, communities and hopefully engage more people with their surrounding Heritage.