Local Cultural Heritage Study

The Queensland Cultural Heritage Act 1992 aims to conserve Queensland’s cultural heritage and requires all Local Governments to keep a register of local places of cultural heritage significance. Mount Isa City Council has commissioned heritage consultants, Converge Heritage + Community, to undertake a heritage study to identify places of potential local heritage significance in the Mount Isa Local Government Area. This work is being conducted in association with Harrison Grierson Consultants Pty Limited whom are currently undertaking a review and update of the Mount Isa City Council Planning Scheme.

The heritage study is being undertaken to properly document those places that are culturally significant and important to the history of Mount Isa and Camooweal. Identifying these places, entering them on a local heritage register and incorporating them into the Mount Isa City Council’s Planning Scheme will help protect them for future generations. This approach allows for a balance between the need for future development and the need to retain elements of our past that contribute to the area’s heritage and character.

Find out more about the study

Follow the links to find out more about the project:

· How the study is being conducted?

· How places are identified and assessed for inclusion on the local register?

· How places are nominated for inclusion on the local register?

· What does listing in a Heritage Register mean?

Other information of interest:

· Places in the Mount Isa Local Government Area that are listed on the Queensland Heritage Register

· Converge Heritage + Community

If you would like to discuss the project further, please contact:

Gayle Houston
Town Planning
Mount Isa City Council
Ph: 07 4747 3200

How is the study being conducted?

The study began in October 2011 and is being undertaken in several stages. Work so far includes the compilation of resources and a gaps analysis of the information currently available about the local area’s heritage assets and places. Further work will be undertaken that provides an analysis of these resources and information soon after, including the gathering of additional information, drafting of plans for community consultation and the preparation of place lists requiring investigation.

The following stages will include fieldwork and provide Council with management advice, a final inventory of heritage places and recommendations for further research. A final report will also provide advice as to how Council can integrate some of the heritage of Mount Isa and Camooweal and stories into broader tourism strategies and programming. This program is expected to be completed in early 2012.

During the program, heritage consultants from Converge Heritage + Community will be conducting fieldwork and site assessments throughout the Mount Isa Local Government Area. Their fieldwork comprises taking photographs of buildings, documenting a site’s condition and elements, and preparing initial assessments of heritage value. Most inspections will not involve entering the property. In the unlikely event that access is required however, Converge Heritage + Community will seek permission via Council which will consult with owners and individuals.

How are places identified and assessed for inclusion on the Local Heritage Register?

There are currently a number of place lists held by different agencies that identify places with heritage value in Mount Isa and Camooweal. These lists include:

· Queensland Heritage Register;

· DERM State-wide Heritage Survey project lists;

· National Trust of Queensland;

· Register of the National Estate; and

· Previous studies for the area.

Local Heritage Places are assessed using key criteria identified in the Queensland Heritage Act 1992:

Criteria	Description
A	The place is important in demonstrating the evolution or pattern of the region’s history
B	The place demonstrates rare, uncommon or endangered aspects of the region’s cultural heritage
C	The place has potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of Queensland’s history
D	The place is important in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a particular class of cultural places
E	The place is important because of its aesthetic significance
F	The place is important in demonstrating a high degree of creative or technical achievement at a particular period
G	The place has a strong or special association with a particular community or cultural group for social, cultural or spiritual reasons
H	The place has a special association with the life or work of a particular person, group or organisation of importance in the region’s history

How are places nominated for inclusion on the Local Heritage Register?

Nominations for inclusion on the local heritage register will be reviewed and assessed by Mount Isa City Council. Council must then:

· Advise any land owners of nominated properties and publish a notice in the local newspaper;

· Receive submissions from owners and/or any member of the public on the basis that the place is or is not a place of cultural heritage significance;

· Consider all submissions and make a decision on whether or not to add the place to the Local Heritage Register; and

· Advise owners and any submitters of Council’s decision.

What does listing on a Heritage Register mean?

Many people are nervous of the implications of heritage listing and there are many misinterpretations of what it actually means to property owners’. While the purpose of listing heritage sites is to give them recognition and protect their important heritage values, listing does not:

· Change ownership;

· Prevent ongoing maintenance and repairs;

· Put a stop to all development or change;

· Impede operations, in particular in relation to safety and health; or

· Give the public permission to access private property.

If your place is listed on a register you can make changes or additions provided they do not detract from the heritage value. In making changes to heritage fabric or additions, you would need to make a development application.

In considering any changes or additions the Mount Isa City Council and/or the Department of Environment and Resource Management recognise that future uses of a heritage building may require adapting it to allow its reuse. Council plans to provide information sessions regarding the results of the Heritage Study early in 2012.

Other information

· Places in the Mount Isa Local Government Area listed on the Queensland State Heritage Register

(link to CHIMS on EPA site)