Increased Support For Heritage Meets Urgent Needs

Increased Support For Heritage Meets Urgent Needs

The New Zealand Historic Places Trust has welcomed the Government’s increased support for historic heritage as recognition of the urgent needs facing the country’s heritage places.

Speaking after Prime Minister Helen Clark’s announcement today of an extra $8 million funding for the Trust over the next four years, as part of a $15.2 million heritage package, Trust Chief Executive Dr Bill Tramposch said: “New Zealanders today are more aware and more interested in their historic heritage. As a country, we face the continuing challenge of preserving that heritage while allowing the nation to develop. As a result, the demand for our services has escalated to the point where extra funding was urgently needed to provide the level, range and quality of services our country’s heritage places deserve.”

“The Government’s funding commitment takes us a step closer to realising our vision of a society where heritage is cherished and preserved, and through this, the economic, social and cultural well-being of our communities is enhanced” said Dr Tramposch. The Trust was looking forward not only to meeting its urgent needs, but also to strengthening and improving over the coming years all its core products and programmes – its registrations, the work of its Maori heritage team, its regulatory services related to resource management, the maintenance and management of its heritage properties, and the technical advice and information it provided to the public.

Dr Tramposch praised the Government’s decision to create a Heritage Preservation Fund as an “inspired policy”. “This sends a strong signal to private owners who are the present-day custodians of our heritage places that their role is understood and will be supported in practical ways” said Dr Tramposch.

Dr Tramposch expressed his delight at the specific funding commitment to the Kerikeri Historic Basin project. “As owner of two of the country’s oldest buildings on the Kerikeri inlet, the Kerikeri Mission House (Kemp House) and the Stone Store, we are greatly looking forward to working with the Department of Conservation as it undertakes its consultation with the community to prepare the development plan for the Basin.”

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