New Zealand Historic
Places Trust Information release 11 July 2006
A property programme
on TVNZ has highlighted the need for better understanding of the New Zealand Historic
Places Trust Register.
The New Zealand Historic Places Trust has expressed
strong disappointment with the TV2 show, My House My Castle, which this month
screened a story on Haslemere, a Category II registered property in Wanganui.
Trust
General Manager Central Region Ann Neill said the show's portrayal of the registration
process was "inaccurate and misleading" and showed the importance of
improved understanding of the Trust and the processes for protecting and preserving
places of historic and cultural importance.
"The Register is the only
statutory national record of our rich, significant and diverse heritage. It helps
us identify and assist in the protection of the nation's heritage, including pa,
whaling stations, churches, memorials, urupa, maunga tapu, farm buildings, bridges,
mining sites, punawai, theatres, settlements, public and commercial buildings,
hotels breweries, public parks and dwellings."
The Register was established
in 1980 under the Historic Places Act and identifies significant heritage places.
It is used to inform owners, the public, community organisations, government agencies
and local authorities. Put simply, the Register is an information and advocacy
tool.
However, Mrs Neill said there continues to be confusion about the
Register and its ramifications to property owners or those with an interest in
a registered place or area.
"Having a building included on the Register
does not in itself directly create regulatory consequences or legal obligations
on property owners. For example, owners may wish to carry out alterations to make
a building safe, usable or fit for a specific purpose."
Mrs Neill said
registration meant owners could obtain advice from professional NZHPT staff on
adapting buildings for new and sustainable uses that retain heritage values and
may lead to heritage funding opportunities.
She said a common misconception
was that registration provided automatic protection. Protection of nationally
significant heritage primarily occurs through district plans maintained and managed
by local authorities. Listing of heritage places on a district plan is a public
process and owners are able to give their views to council at the time of listing.
Councils are required to have regard to the Trust's Register when developing
Regional and District Plans and the inclusion of a property in the Register should
be noted on any relevant land information memorandum (LIM) supplied by a local
authority. Councils must also notify the Trust when issuing project information
memoranda (PIMs) or building consents where no PIM has been sought.
Anyone
can nominate an historic place, historic area, wahi tapu or wahi tapu area for
registration by completing an application form available from the Trust. In fact,
the Trust encourages individuals, local communities and groups to help identify
places and areas of national importance to ensure that our treasures and taonga
can be passed on to future generations.
For further information and advice
contact your nearest regional/area office.
Registration facts
Operates
under the Historic Places Act 1993 and maintained by the New Zealand Historic
Places Trust
The Register is divided into four parts:
Historic
Places - such as archaeological sites, buildings, memorials
Historic Areas
- groups of related historic places such as a geographical area containing a number
of properties or structures, a heritage precinct or a cultural landscape
Wahi
tapu - places sacred to Maori in the traditional, spiritual, religious, ritual,
or mythological sense such as maunga tapu, urupa, funerary sites and punawai
Wahi
tapu areas - areas that contain one or more wahi tapu
Historic places
on the Register are assigned as:
Category I - a place of special or
outstanding historical or cultural significance or value
Category II -
a place of historical or cultural significance or value
What does
Registration mean?
it is the established national means of identifying
important heritage in a locality
does not equal automatic protection
does
not directly create regulatory consequences or legal obligations on property owners
can
provide heritage funding opportunities
does not directly create specific
rights or control over property can lead to heritage properties being considered
for inclusion in district plans
How does Registration link with District
Plans?
District plans are administered by local authorities and set
out the changes that can be made to a property
most district plans require
resource consent be granted for changes to heritage places and sites listed in
the plans
the Trust can get involved in this process and advocate for
the retention of heritage values
local authorities are required to notify
the Trust if a project information memorandum (PIM) or building consent application
is received regarding a registered property
this allows the Trust to offer
conservation advice to property owners
the fact the property is included
in the Register should be noted on any relevant land information memorandum (LIM)
supplied by a local authority
Registration process
anyone
can nominate an historic place, historic area, wahi tapu or wahi tapu area for
registration by completing an application form available from the Trust
Trust
staff will then assess the nomination and, if the nomination has merit, the views
of the owners, iwi and other interested parties will be sought and a registration
proposal prepared
The decision on whether to enter the registration proposal
into the register will be made by the NZHPT Board of Trustees, or in the case
of wahi tapu and wahi tapu areas, the Maori Heritage Council
