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Response
to proposed changes to HSC Modern and Ancient History Exam
2010 -
HTANSW
Letter to the Minister for Education and Training - March
09
HTA
NSW has sent a letter to Verity Firth, Minister for Education
and Training, regarding the proposed changes to the HSC
exams.
Click
here to view letter
Reply from Ms Firth received 18 May 2009
Click
here to view reply
24
Mar 09 - Article in The Australian:
"Bad
Choice: Teachers Slam New Exam Format"
to read article click
here
•
THE END OF NSW HERITAGE
OFFICE! - February 2008
In
July 2007, the NSW Minister for Planning,
Frank Sartor announced a review of the Heritage
Act. The review was conducted by then Liverpool
City Council Administrator Gabrielle Kibble
and NSW Heritage Council Chair Michael Collins.
The History Council of NSW provided a submission
to the review panel that highlighted the
importance of history and historians in
the heritage assessment process and urged
the government to retain history representation
on the Heritage Council.
Last week the Minister announced that the
Heritage Office would be folded into the
Department of Planning. It appears as though
heritage is once again under threat in NSW.
Without the results of the Heritage Act
Review it is impossible to know what this
government plans for heritage.
The
Council would like to call on you to support
us in this campaign to preserve heritage
in NSW. We encourage you to contact your
local member, write letters to the newspaper
and call your local radio station.
MEDIA
RELEASE
31
March 2008
HISTORY MUST BE RETAINED IN HERITAGE
The
History Council of NSW has called on the
Minister for Planning Frank Sartor to
retain the position of a community nominated
historian on the Heritage Council. Proposed
changes to the Heritage Act threaten to
remove the input of historians in the
process of heritage assessment.
In
a report on the Heritage Act Review two
options are presented for the restructure
of the Heritage Council, the body that
assesses heritage claims.
The first sees only minor modifications
made, while the second proposes to remove
the Royal Australian Historical Society
representative. The position would be
replaced by a 'general historian' appointed
by the Minister.
"Ministerial
appointments will take away the objectivity
of the Heritage Council, which is precisely
what makes it a respected body,"
said Professor Emerita Jill Roe AO, President
of the History Council. "The History
Council of NSW believes strongly that
the Heritage Act should integrate protection
of our natural and built environment and
that consultation with professional bodies
and community organisations, in particular
historians is an essential part of this
process," she said. "An understanding
of the history of a site is fundamental
to the greater understanding of heritage
significance."
The
History Council believes heritage is a
vital way that communities find connections
with their histories and the past, helping
to create and reinforce a sense of identity
and place.
The
History Council of NSW is the peak body
for history in this state and represents
over 22,000 people from across the history
community. Our corporate members encompass
cultural institutions, academia, public
and professional historians, educators,
community and local historical societies.
-
ENDS -
HISTORIANS CALL FOR TRANSPARENCY IN HERITAGE
The
President of the History Council of NSW,
Professor Emerita Jill Roe AO, has called
for transparency over the review of the
Heritage Act.
An
emergency meeting of history and heritage
organisations was held at the National Trust
yesterday in response to an announcement
last week that the NSW Heritage Office is
being folded into the Department of Planning.
The move appears to be in response to a
review of the Heritage Act conducted in
July last year, the report of which has
not yet been tabled in Parliament, nor the
submissions made public. The History Council
made a submission, which is available on
our website.
The
History Council of NSW is alarmed by the
lack of public scrutiny. "The lack
of transparency makes people distrustful.
It creates an uncertainty as to the position
of heritage in future planning;" Professor
Roe said. The planned dissolution of the
Heritage Office next week casts doubt over
the place of history in our State's heritage.
Under the current Heritage Act, history
is strongly represented on the Heritage
Council, but this is no longer certain.
The
Council calls on the Minister for Planning,
Frank Sartor, to release the findings of
the review and put an end to rumours and
speculation.
The
History Council believes heritage is a vital
way that communities find connections with
their histories and the past, helping to
create and reinforce a sense of identity
and place.
The
History Council of NSW is the peak body
for history in this state and represents
over 22,000 people from across the history
community. Our corporate members encompass
cultural institutions, academia, public
and professional historians, educators,
community and local historical societies.
THE
NATIONAL TRUST AND THE WAR ON HERITAGE
The major restructure at the Department
of Planning is yet again set to denigrate
the value of heritage with the announcement
of the ‘dismantling’ of the
Heritage Office. The Office has been emasculated
with most of its staff relocated elsewhere
in the Department and only a ‘core’
left to service the Heritage Council. This
move reinforces the view that heritage is
a very low priority for government, being
seen as the obstacle to development. Most
notably, the Heritage Office has been sidelined
under Part 3(A) of the NSW Planning Act,
which enables Minister for Planning Frank
Sartor to approve developments deemed ‘State
significant’, overriding heritage
and environmental policies and legislation.
In the recent past government papers on
planning and planning reviews have been
pouring into the National Trust.
For example, the current State government
planning review outlined in the paper ‘Improving
the NSW Planning System’, seeks to
reduce the power of local government and
to stifle the public’s freedom to
comment on development applications. The
concept of state-wide default codes put
forward in the review, a one-size fits all
plan, will seriously erode the special character
of places of environmental or heritage value
and the distinctiveness of important streetscapes.
It is a virtual mirror image of the UK proposals,
where heritage advocates are up in arms
because of the threat to its ‘green
belts’.
A related concern is that Land and Environment
Court cases are playing like broken records
in local government areas like Ku-ring-gai.
Rehashed versions of previous DAs already
rejected by the LEC on heritage grounds
are brought before the Court as ‘new’
DAs. But the National Trust, in partnership
with the community, remains tenacious in
opposing inappropriate development –
it has been fighting for conservation of
natural and built heritage in Ku-ring-gai
and throughout NSW since 1945.
And what of the current ‘review’
of the Heritage Act? Submissions have not
been made public by the Minister but the
Trust will continue to publish its views
and community’s concerns on its website.
The final report has been submitted to the
Minister, with nobody privy to its contents
except the Department of Planning.
In response to another recent review, that
of the Biodiversity Banking Scheme, the
Trust advocated vehemently that development
should not automatically take precedence
over biodiversity conservation. Biobanking
must be ecologically rather than economically
driven, and is of such urgency that it should
be dealt with on a global basis as is the
case for climate change, via Multilateral
Environmental Agreements.
Then there is Part 3(A). On Sunday, 24 February,
the National Trust will be in the forefront
of a mass rally to prevent the development
of over 900 dwellings in the Central Coast
coalmining workers’ settlement of
Catherine Hill Bay, a historic beachfront
village of 100 homes. The place is a rare
gem, rich in cultural heritage, featuring
intact buildings and streetscapes from 1870s
and notable for the biodiversity of its
setting, home of many identified endangered
species. A development of this scale would
destroy its heritage and environmental values.
The Interim Report to Minister Sartor by
an Independent Panel led by Heritage Council
Chair Gabrielle Kibble considered developer
Rosecorp’s original proposal for 600
houses ‘unacceptable’. That
development was rejected by the Land and
Environment Court. The Department of Planning
recommended against development at the Bay.
Yet once again the dreaded Part 3(A) rears
its ugly head. Minister Sartor has the authority
to override State environmental and heritage
legislation to green-light the Catherine
Hill Bay proposals.
At Kelly’s Bush on the Parramatta
River in 1971 the Battlers of Kelly’s
Bush and the BLF imposed Green Bans, and
precious waterfront bushland was saved.
The Green Bans Movement demonstrated that
concern for the environment touches people
from all walks of life. Forty-two green
bans were imposed on Sydney by 1974, also
saving The Rocks and Centennial Park.
Kelly’s Bush was a test case. As the
Battlers stated: ‘If a successful
stand can be made here, then great hope…
is given to other cases elsewhere in the
future. This is a skirmish in a greater
battle.’ The National Trust is calling
on community groups and concerned citizens
to mobilise to stop the government doing
further damage to our natural and built
heritage.
It is sad but true that the National Trust
may be the only community advocate left
to fight for heritage. Its own survival
is seriously under threat because of drastic
cuts to government grants. As a non-government
charity, now more than ever financial
support is crucial to the Trust’s
ability to campaign during this particularly
volatile period when our heritage is under
grave threat. Our future may be on the
line but we will continue to act as the
government’s conscience, advocating
for the conservation of our natural and
built heritage for those who come after
us. It is the be all and end all of our
existence.
Dr Zeny Edwards
President, National Trust of Australia
(NSW)
Watson Road, Observatory Hill, Sydney
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