NSW Heritage Forum 2024
Photos: Tim Pascoe
GML recently joined around 200 industry peers and stakeholders for the NSW Heritage Forum in Sydney.
The two-day event was an opportunity to hear more about latest Heritage NSW initiatives, including a draft heritage strategy, and to facilitate a dialogue on the future of heritage conservation in NSW.
Climate change took centre stage on the first day with Professor Tim Flannery from the Climate Council delivering a compelling keynote address on the urgent need to safeguard heritage sites from the impacts of climate change. He highlighted current climate projections for NSW, emphasizing that key tipping points have already been reached or surpassed since Australia signed the 2015 Paris Agreement.
The address was followed by a panel discussion with leading research scientists and academics working in the climate change and heritage sphere including: Prof Tim Denham of the School of Archaeology and Anthropology, ANU; Dr Brenda Lin, Principal Research Scientist, CSIRO; Prof Heidi Norman of UNSW and Hon. Robyn Parker, Deputy Chair of the Heritage Council of NSW.
Joining the panel was GML Principal, Catherine Forbes, who offered insights into the threats climate change poses to heritage and provided practical guidance on how to address these challenges, particularly in relation to heritage buildings. Catherine later presented a separate session on “Disaster Risk Management, Mitigation and Preparedness for Cultural Heritage”.
Also presenting at the forum was GML senior consultant, Adiba Rahman, who participated in a panel discussion on promoting diversity in heritage through activation, interpretation and conservation. Joining Adiba were Sara Korman from Albury City Council, and Stuart Read and Meggan Walker from Heritage NSW, as they outlined practical strategies for engaging and collaborating with multicultural and LGBTQIA+ communities in heritage projects. Adiba highlighted her work on heritage-making with Bangladeshi communities in Western Sydney. A significant recognition that echoed across the session presentations was that the markers of cultural significance for immigrants and the LGBTQIA+ community are often less about heritage fabric and more about history and cultural factors such as recipes, language and important events.
Professor Tim Flannery from the Climate Council delivering a keynote address.
GML Principal Catherine Forbes (right) with Hon. Robyn Parker, Deputy Chair of the Heritage Council of NSW and Professor Heidi Norman of UNSW.
Adiba Rahman with Stuart Read, Senior Heritage Officer at Heritage NSW.
Day two of the Forum opened with a panel discussion on housing policy and heritage with representation from the NSW Department of Planning, Housing & Infrastructure, including Government Architect, Abbie Galvin, David Gainsford, Monica Gibson and Frank Howarth, Chair of the Heritage Council of NSW. The session included some discussion of the impact of recent legislative changes on the profession’s ability to provide positive heritage preservation outcomes.
Aboriginal Affairs NSW provided an informative workshop sharing the latest developments in their programs. These included discussion of some of the issues they have encountered during establishment of a community of practice for improved Aboriginal Cultural Heritage within local government structure.
The day closed with a powerful keynote address from Arrernte and Kalkadoon woman and film maker, Rachel Perkins, speaking on ‘Truth-telling in Australia’s heritage’. Her presentation was followed by a panel discussion featuring prominent experts and leaders on the topic.
