Council will consider a proposal on how to complete and update heritage studies for the municipality over the next four years.
Acting Director, Strategy and Growth Vicky Mason said the built heritage assets of Greater Bendigo were well-known and highly valued in the community, and were also critical in attracting visitors and new residents to the region.
“Our heritage assets tell the story of our past and play an important role in the 21st century. They need to be protected through a considered methodical approach,” Ms Mason said.
“The proposed Heritage Gap Analysis and Future Work Program identified gaps in how the municipality protects heritage assets and what needs to considered in the Greater Bendigo Planning Scheme.”
The 2018/2019 Budget supported a program to complete the City’s heritage studies. In response to the large amount of work to be undertaken, the City decided to commission Landmark Heritage to prepare a Gap Analysis and recommend a method for completing heritage studies most efficiently and effectively.
“If Council agrees with the recommendations next week, the main aim of the report will be to provide a strategy for managing and prioritising heritage work over the next four years. There have been a number of heritage studies completed over the years, but there are significant gaps, including the former Shire of Huntly and urban areas of the former Shire of Strathfieldsaye.
“Also one of the largest heritage studies, covering the previous municipalities of Eaglehawk and Bendigo, was carried out in 1993 and is out of date. This needs to be revisited in a comprehensive manner. It does not, for example, always identify which places are significant or how they contribute to an area or a precinct.
“Some areas of the municipality have not been fully studied and heritage protection is critical when these areas are facing significant development. Having up to date heritage information allows heritage concerns to be considered efficiently when assessing future development proposals.”
The report has an extensive list of recommendations including:
- Engage a consultant to prepare an on-going consultation strategy to support the Heritage Program
- Develop a standard approach for heritage studies so they can be done as efficiently as possible
- Undertake a heritage study of Golden Square as a pilot which will be the basis for the reviews of the Bendigo Eaglehawk Study
- A heritage study for the former Shire of Huntly
- A heritage study for miners’ cottages
