Heritage panel to bolster Queensland protection

The Palaszczuk Government has announced a new advisory panel will be established to strengthen Queensland’s heritage register and provide expert advice on heritage places and spaces.

Environment Minister Meaghan Scanlon announced on World Heritage Day, April 18 that a panel of specialists would be created consisting of representatives from the Australian Institute of Architects, the National Trust of Australia (Queensland) and local government.

Minister Scanlon said the panel would sit under the Queensland Heritage Council and look at ways to bolster existing legislation and frameworks around protecting heritage places.

“We’re investing close to $1 billion to protect our environment and create jobs, and we’re looking at ways we can protect places with historical significance,” Ms Scanlon said.

“Importantly, the panel will be tasked with coming up with ways that our communities can be encouraged to apply more often to have places of historical significance protected on the Queensland Heritage Register.

Those recommendations are expected to be handed down by the end of 2021.

“We’ve already seen a number of locations just this past year placed on the Heritage register like the Beuadesert saleyard, Charters Towers City Hall and ‘The Fort’ at Oxley.

“I hope by establishing the panel we can encourage more Queenslanders to consider places of historical significance and how they can be protected through the register.

“It adds to our ongoing heritage grants program, which offers assistance of up to $40,000 for project helping to conserve places on our heritage register.

“World Heritage Day is about celebrating places that have significant cultural heritage and preserving those spaces for generations to come, which is what will be achieved with the panel.”

More information about Queensland heritage is at Heritage places | Environment, land and water | Queensland Government (www.qld.gov.au)

ENDS

Media Contact: Francis DelaCruz 0420592078