Consultation now open on the review of NSW Heritage Legislation
Consultation is now open on the review of the NSW Heritage legislation with the NSW Legislative Council Standing Committee on Social Issues formally endorsing an inquiry into the NSW Heritage Act 1977.
The committee will undertake a comprehensive public inquiry into the adequacy of the Heritage Act 1977, considering the government’s recently released discussion paper, and hearing from the community and stakeholders.
Minister responsible for heritage Don Harwin said the current legislation does not meet the contemporary needs of the community. It is time that we make it easier, more affordable and more desirable to activate and conserve the state’s heritage.
“State heritage contributes to the story of NSW, and we want to hear from all areas of the community about how heritage matters to them. It’s an important step in this process that local communities get involved and have their say on how we can better celebrate the heritage that matters most to NSW.
The NSW Government’s discussion paper proposes a number of reforms or considerations including introducing a category system, tailoring listings to protect items while making it easier to undertake conservation, and incentivising adaptive reuse of heritage buildings.
Chair of the Social Issues Committee, the Hon. Shayne Mallard MLC said “NSW heritage legislation has had no major system reforms since 1999 and the committee is looking forward to working with all stakeholders to provide recommendations to government.”
Submissions will be open from 13 May 2021 to 27 June 2021 and everyone is encouraged to have their say on the future of heritage in NSW. .
The discussion paper and more information about the inquiry and how to get involved is available via Heritage NSW.