7 September 2007

Incentives proposed for heritage works

A range of incentive options including heritage grants, rate holidays and transferable development rights are being investigated by Auckland City Council to preserve items of natural and built heritage on private land.

This follows a report on the city's heritage policy tabled at today's Environment, Heritage and Urban Form Committee, which concluded that the council's current approach to heritage was technically advanced and robust.

"It is very important to preserve heritage properties on private land as well as those items maintained in public hands," says Councillor Christine Caughey, chairperson of the Environment, Heritage and Urban Form Committee.

"Education and financial incentives are the best ways for the council to encourage and recognise the good work being done by private landowners.

"The Resource Management Act does not require compensation but we can give recognition to people who go the extra mile in preserving our natural and built heritage. For example, they might have a marvellous villa that has had aluminium windows installed. If an owner is given financial help, they might consider refitting wooden frames. We also need to recognise that a heritage building costs more to maintain than the average house."

The council has trialled two $50,000 grant schemes, one for natural heritage in Hauraki Gulf islands and another for built heritage in the city. Both schemes have proved successful in preserving heritage items on private land.

The report outlined a range of options to increase this grant to between $700,000 and $1.6 million. In addition, a sum of $100,000 could be set aside for emergency funding. The new funding would come from an increase in the targeted heritage rate of between $5 and $11 a year for an average ratepayer.

In addition, a rates holiday scheme provides for a 25 to 50 per cent reduction in rates providing the ratepayer uses that money to maintain their heritage building or natural heritage item. The rates could be recovered if not spent for that purpose.

Another review recommendation is to allow Transferable Development Rights (currently applied only in the CBD) to be available for any heritage item throughout the city, with the sale of rights only to central city sites where higher developments can be absorbed.

The committee recommended that it be tabled at the annual plan directions setting meeting in November, for consideration alongside the council's other work priorities. The committee also recommended upcoming district plan reviews investigate the use of financial contributions and other relevant measures as heritage management tools.

ENDS

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