31 August 2004

Government to lead by example in care of heritage properties

The government has adopted new standards to ensure its historic heritage properties are well cared for, Associate Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Judith Tizard announced today.

"Government departments will be required to lead by example by maintaining their heritage properties to international standards of heritage conservation," said Judith Tizard.

"The government has a large number of heritage properties in its care. It is important that we set a high standard in the maintenance and upkeep of these properties."

Judith Tizard says the policy is part of the government’s broader programme of enhanced care for New Zealand's heritage.

"This decision follows the establishment of a National Heritage Preservation Incentive Fund to encourage conservation of nationally significant heritage properties in private ownership. We have also amended the Resource Management Act 1991 to strengthen its historic heritage provisions and strengthened the New Zealand Historic Places Trust.

"I hope this initiative will provide a useful model for other owners of heritage property, such as local government, public institutions and the private sector."

The new policy can be viewed on the website of the Ministry for Culture and Heritage www.mch.govt.nz

ENDS

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>