Have your say on the council’s heritage strategy by 8 October

17 September 2009

The North Shore City Council is calling for public comment on its draft historic heritage strategy.

The strategy is available on the council website www.northshorecity.govt.nz or by phoning 09 486 8600 extension 8923.   Comments must be received by 8 October.

Council Strategy and Finance Chair Grant Gillon says that the strategy aims to make it easier to identify and protect all historic heritage resources in the city, and to understand the stories behind them.

“Now that the council is coming to the end of a lengthy period of consultation and the strategy is nearing its final form, we want all North Shore residents to have the opportunity to tell us how we can improve it to ensure that it achieves its objectives.”

He says that the draft strategy provides for the identification and integrated management of the city’s buildings, archaeological sites, records held by the council and other organisations, and items and archives held in local museums and libraries.

There is also provision for an education programme aimed at both residents and visitors.

Earlier this year, as part of the City Plan consultation process, North Shore residents were asked if they thought that the provisions in the heritage strategy should be funded by the council.
The response, says Councillor Gillon, was strongly in favour, and that gave the council the mandate to finalise the strategy.

“It is full steam ahead this year,” he says. “The feedback from key stakeholders has been that the identification and protection of the city’s historic heritage is critically important.

“It has become even more essential in light of the reorganisation of Auckland’s local government.  We need to be confident that when the new Auckland Council is formed, we are able to pass on robust information about the places of heritage significance here on the North Shore.”

For this reason, the council has already begun the task of aligning its heritage work with the new strategy by initiating a review of items listed for protection in the District Plan.  

The draft strategy was developed with the participation of a working party of people and organisations with a keen interest in North Shore’s heritage.  

Councillor Gillon says he is now asking those people - as well as the general public - to take a last close look at the provisions in the strategy and get back to the council with any final suggestions.

“This is an informal consultation process, as the strategy is not a statutory document, but nonetheless all feedback will be carefully considered by the council.

“This is a straightforward, action-oriented strategy which will pull together all the ways in which the North Shore’s historic items can be conserved, and the stories around them told, so that our rich and varied heritage can be conserved for the benefit of all.”

ENDS

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