Historic Places Trust Welcomes Protection For Heritage Places

The New Zealand Historic Places Trust has applauded the recommendation by Parliament’s Local Government and Environment Select Committee that New Zealand’s heritage places be given stronger protection.

Reporting on the Resource Management Amendment Bill last week, the Committee backed proposals to upgrade heritage protection to an issue of national importance in the Resource Management Act, which would require local and regional councils to provide better protection for the heritage places in their regions.

The Select Committee also recommends that the Trust retain all its regulatory functions, whereas the Resource Management Amendment Bill introduced into Parliament in 1999 had proposed removing the Trust’s regulatory powers for protection of heritage places.

In a statement today, the Trust’s Chief Executive, Dr Bill Tramposch, observed: “The New Zealand Historic Places Trust is New Zealand’s leading national heritage agency. It has a track record of close to 50 years’ work protecting New Zealand’s heritage, and it is only appropriate that this expertise continue to serve communities working to protect their heritage.”

“The Trust particularly welcomes the Committee’s recommendation it retain powers for the protection of archaeological sites at the present time. Currently, few local authorities have expertise in management of archaeological heritage and the Trust is well positioned to assist them to develop their capacity to protect this irreplaceable resource.”

“The Trust now looks forward with confidence to the enactment of the Resource Management Amendment Bill as revised by the Select Committee,” said Dr Tramposch. “By raising heritage protection to the status of an issue of national importance, and retaining the Trust’s regulatory powers, the Select Committee has ensured that a stronger regulatory framework is in place to assist the Trust, local communities, iwi and hapu to protect New Zealand’s heritage”.

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