Councillors
Newcastle City Council
Council Chambers
King Street,
NEWCASTLE

Dear Councillors,

At its meeting of the 19th of September 2006 the Newcastle City Council resolved to prepare a nomination to have the State Heritage Listed Coal River Precinct and Convict Lumber Yard placed on the National Heritage List. (Letter Dated 22 Sep O6 signed by Janet Dore enclosed)

Parks and Playgrounds Movement was pleased that Council had authorised the preparation of the nomination and that it would be done by Council’s professional Heritage staff without external cost to Council. However we were concerned at that time that officers should not confuse the National Nomination with the Heritage \Tourism plan that was currently being prepared with funds provided by the Heritage Office of NSW.

I requested an interview with Ms Dore to discuss the nomination and received a phone call from a Council officer. He informed me that a meeting would be arranged when a scoping exercise had been done. I suggested that it would be logical for the Council to have their professionally trained heritage advisor prepare the nomination.

I was surprised and annoyed to be contacted a few days later by a private consultant hired by Council wishing to know about making a national heritage nomination for the area.

Since then the University of Newcastle Coal River Working Party has completed the Nomination but I have not heard from the private consultant or from the General Manager.

Parks and Playgrounds Movement would be pleased to be informed if Council has actually commenced the scoping exercise for the nomination and at what cost to council?

Has the Council authorised a private consultant to prepare the nomination?

Do Councillors know if the Administration is implementing the resolution?

With the sesquicentenary of local government in Newcastle only two years away (7th June 2009) we believe that our city deserves to have its birth site and heritage recognised by state and Commonwealth Governments.