Councillors
Council Chambers
Newcastle City Council
King Street NEWCASTLE 2300

Dear Councillors,

Heritage Advisory Panel - Newcastle (HAP-N)

Parks and Playgrounds Movement at our August Meeting earlier this year discussed the importance of Newcastle’s heritage.

As the second city of NSW we are lucky to have a continuum of historic urban fabric available and presented in individual buildings and in our cityscape.  This fabric is our heritage and adds immeasurably to the interest of the city for visitors and residents and provides a mature quality to the lifestyle we enjoy.

The Movement believes that Newcastle’s future must include its unique heritage values identified and conserved within a heritage planning framework.

We are aware that Council has appointed a professional heritage officer but we want Councillors to have the benefit of their own Heritage Advisory Panel as they currently have with the Newcastle  Environmental Advisory Panel (NEAP).

The panel would provide Council with expert knowledge of local heritage items and develop programmes for the promotion of Newcastle’s distinctive heritage values. This would be of particular assistance in the near future when Council is evaluating heritage significance of items as required in the new Local Environmental Plan (LEP) for the whole of Newcastle.

We also draw your attention to the State Government’s Hunter Regional Environmental Plan (1989) which states that “Local Councils must accept responsibility for protection of local Heritage and Councils are encouraged to:

*     continue identifying and protecting heritage items

*     promote community awareness of heritage

*     and seek the advice of experts where appropriate”

With the above considerations in mind the Movement resolved that the Newcastle Council be asked to establish a Heritage Advisory Panel. We will be writing to the General Manager along these lines and trust that you will support the establishment of the Heritage Advisory Panel.

Yours sincerely,