Oscar Parry
Macedon Ranges council adopted its 10-year heritage strategy, which received input from several historical societies, three registered Aboriginal parties, and local museums.
The strategy contains 28 actions under five topics: knowing our heritage, protecting our heritage, supporting our heritage, communicating and promoting our heritage, and the new topic of preparing – in reference to future challenges to heritage assets relating to climate change and associated events.
Consultation involved asking people what they love about the heritage of the Macedon Ranges, where submitters sent in photos or written passages about their favourite heritage assets of the region.
Councillor Rob Guthrie said one action of the strategy he felt was particularly important was to begin planning scheme amendments in relation to heritage sites.
“It’s so important to protect our heritage assets. One of the actions in the protecting section is to commence a planning scheme amendment to correct heritage overlay errors and anomalies. And unfortunately, while we have quite a few properties that are heritage-listed, some of the mapping is incorrect – and so, from my point of view, it’s an absolute priority to get that resolved,” Cr Guthrie said.
“When we look at some of the anomalies as an example … on the outskirts of Romsey, where there is a magnificent bluestone farm building, where the stone was mined on-site for that building. And the stone for the church in Romsey which is now the uniting church … that was also mined on that farm. The church is heritage-listed, but that magnificent homestead is not,” he said.
Councillor Jennifer Anderson said compared to the council’s previous heritage strategy, which she believes was a more “scattered” approach, the new strategy has clearer directions.
“The heritage societies that we have in the Macedon Ranges – we are so lucky to have them. They do so much research, and I’d encourage anyone who uses their service to pay them for that service – they do a lot of it on a volunteer basis,” Cr Anderson said.
The draft Macedon Ranges Heritage Strategy was adopted at the August 28 council meeting.
