HERITAGE COUNCIL OF VICTORIA ANNUAL REPORT 2004-2005 CONT ENTS Message from the Chair 02 1.7 Heritage Fund > Assistance approved for registered SECTION 1 – HERITAGE COUNCIL – properties 2004-2005 28 ACTIVITIES 1.8 Financial Reports 1.1 Heritage Council > Summary of Financial Results 29 > The Statutory role of the > Notes to the Financial Statements 33 Heritage Council of Victoria 06 > Statement of Cash Flows 44 > Heritage Council of Victoria > Auditor General’s Report 45 Members & photos 08 > Legislative Compliance & Disclosure 46 > Heritage Council of Victoria Meetings (attendance) 09 SECTION 2 – THE STATE OF VICTORIA’S > Heritage Council Committees 10 CULTURAL HERITAGE > Advisory Committees 11 2.1 Knowing 50 1.2 Advice to Minister 2.2 Protecting > Strategy 2010 12 52 > Victorian Heritage Program 14 2.3 Communicating > Funded Projects, Victorian Heritage 55 Program 16 2.4 Managing 56 1.3 Promotion of Heritage > Communications 18 SECTION 3 – THE ACT OPERATIONS 1.4 Liaison > Productivity Commission 20 3.1 Changes to legislation > Royal Exhibition Buildings & 1.5 Research Carlton Gardens 60 > Maritime Heritage 21 > Conservation Laboratory & 3.2 Assessments 62 Conservation Bonds 22 3.3 Permits > Landscape Seminars 23 65 > Bridges Study 23 3.4 Archaeological Activities 65 1.6 Assistance > Hands on Heritage 24 > Local Government 25 > Places at Risk 26 > Financial 27 Cover: Image of the Rivoli Theatre, interior, by Janusz Molinski. 23MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR On 1 July 2004 the Royal Exhibition The final Victorian Heritage Strategy 2010 The Places at Risk program was funded With the Strategy 2010 underway, Building and Carlton Gardens became will hopefully be delivered in late 2005, in 2004-2005 out of $300,000 from I am confident that the community has the first building and gardens in Australia giving all Victorians a framework in which the Victorian Heritage Program. It a more developed understanding of the to be listed in the world heritage list. to understand how we can work together specifically targets the most endangered importance of heritage and consequently This momentous occasion provided an to respect and manage the importance places on the Victorian Heritage Register. strong support for its role in the future. opportunity for us to mark the importance of heritage in our community. A place at risk is defined as a place on of heritage not only in our community, but the Victorian Heritage Register which I would like to thank all members and as a place of importance in the world. During the second year of the $8 million suffers from neglect or decay to such an alternates of the Heritage Council for Victorian Heritage Program (VHP), 55 extent that its existence is threatened, giving so generously of their time, passion, There has been a heightened awareness new projects across the State were either immediately or as a result of a good ideas and analysis over the year. across the nation about the importance funded, with the majority of projects foreseeable sequence of events. I am sorry to say goodbye to retiring of heritage, as demonstrated by the being initiated by community groups. alternate members Lisa Riddle, Bronwyn Federal Governments’ announcement of Over the 2 years of the program, projects Hibbert and Anita Smith. I thank them all the terms of reference to the Productivity Some of the funded projects included: have been funded at 19 places, totalling for their contributions and wish them well Commission in April 2005, to undertake The House of the Gentle Bunyip, Clifton $489,000. So far, 7 places have been for the future. an Inquiry into the Policy Framework Hill ($83,000), Calder Woodburn Memorial removed from risk by the program. and Incentives for the Conservation of Avenue of Honour ($50,000), Heimat Projects included Stone Cottages at I would also like to thank the staff of Australia’s Built Heritage Places. House in Doncaster ($50,000), St Barkers Creek, Woolshed at Ercildoune Heritage Victoria whose work enables the George’s Presbyterian Church in Geelong Homestead, Burrumbeet and Bear Castle. Heritage Council to operate so effectively. Included in the terms of reference are: ($40,000) and Berwick Primary School the main pressures on the conservation ($100,000). As well as programs to assist heritage of historic heritage places, the economic, buildings, grants were provided through social and environmental benefits and This year part of the program funding the Victorian Heritage Program in 2004- costs of the conservation of historic ($475,000) contributed to the 2005 to enable several councils to heritage places in Australia, and the Commonwealth Games Getting Involved undertake heritage identification studies. current relative roles and contributions grants program, administered by the Office These included Alpine Shire, Golden Plains Chris Gallagher to the conservation of historic heritage of Commonwealth Games Administration, Shire, Moira Shire and Towong Shire CHAIR, HERITAGE COUNCIL VICTORIA places of Commonwealth, State and part of the Department of Victorian Councils. Funds provided for Stage Two of Territory governments, heritage owners, Communities. These projects had to meet a heritage study to assess and document community groups and any other relevant all the requirements of the Victorian heritage places. stakeholders. Heritage Program, and also had to be either a sporting structure, or be a venue In March 2005 the Heritage Council At a State level, understanding the where an event was going to be held visited various sites in the Castlemaine importance of heritage to our community during the Commonwealth Games. area over a weekend. Part of the purpose was strongly demonstrated through Thirteen worthy heritage projects were of the trip was to announce the inaugural consultation workshops held in February funded in this category. award for an outstanding contribution 2005, along with the many submissions to the identification, interpretation, received, regarding the draft Victorian During the year an independent evaluation communication and conservation of Heritage Strategy. of the program was undertaken which Victoria’s heritage. This announcement concluded that the VHP had been was made at Castlemaine’s Art Gallery Victoria’s Heritage 2010: Strengthening successful in meeting the objectives of & Historical Museum. Recipients of this Our Communities, is a proposed the program, and also in contributing award were the Friends of the Mount framework for heritage management in to broader government policy objectives. Alexander Diggings. FOMAD was praised Victoria over the next five years. It was The evaluation also found that the funding for its public spiritedness and hard work approved by the Government for release leverage for 2004-2005 was 4.6, in completing a number of projects that as a draft document for public comment. meaning that for every $1 provided by the had enabled a highly significant piece of Some of the key messages which came VHP, a total of $4.60 has been spent on Victoria’s gold rush heritage to become through the consultation process were project works. The average over the 4 increasingly visible not only in the that “heritage is the heart of community years of the Public Heritage Program community, but right across the region. identity”, “Victoria’s heritage reflects the and two years of VHP was 3.4. Funding rich multicultural diversity of the State” leverage is used as an indicator for and “our heritage is more than just places; meeting the objectives of the program - it is also the objects, collections, records, the higher the leverage figure, the greater stories, the traditions and the special local the emphasis the community places on characteristics that build community pride, restoring local heritage. The evaluation create opportunities for cultural described the funding leverage for the enrichment and attract visitors and programs as “impressive”. tourists.” 1. HERITAGE COUNCIL ACTIVITIES Left: Detail of drawing of St Michael, Napier Waller House. 671.1 HERITAGE COUNCIL THE STATUTORY ROLE OF THE HERITAGE COUNCIL OF VICTORIA The Heritage Council of Victoria is • to advise government departments and an independent statutory authority agencies and municipal councils on established under the Heritage Act 1995. matters relating to the protection and The Council comprises ten members with conservation and places and objects of ten alternate members, all appointed by cultural heritage significance; the Minister for Planning who is responsible for the Act. • to advise the Minister administering the Planning and Environment Act 1987 The Heritage Council has a number of on proposed amendments to planning statutory functions set out in the Act as schemes which may affect the follows: protection or conservation of places and objects of cultural heritage significance; • “to advise the Minister on the state of Victoria’s cultural heritage resources • to liaise with other bodies responsible and on any steps necessary to protect for matters relating to the protection, and conserve them; conservation, management and promotion of Victoria’s cultural heritage; • to promote public understanding of Victoria’s cultural heritage and develop • to initiate and undertake programs of and conduct community information research related to the identification, and education programs; conservation or interpretation of Victoria’s cultural heritage; • to develop, revise and publish from time to time the assessment criteria to be • to report annually to the Minister on - used in considering the cultural