Inverell residents can seek help preserving the town’s history, with applications open for the Local Heritage Assistance Fund.
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Each year, Inverell Shire Council will join with the Heritage Branch of the Office of Environment and Heritage to offer small grants to property owners through the fund for maintenance works on older buildings in the local government area.
The council wishes to remind local heritage item owners, and owners of buildings within heritage conservation areas, that the 2018/2019 Local Heritage Assistance Fund is now open for applications.
Applications must be received by 4.30 pm on Monday, September 17.
Combined with the Heritage Office’s grant, the fund for 2018/19 totals $36,000.
This grant funding is used as an incentive to assist property owners of heritage listed items that are identified in the Inverell Shire Council Local Environmental Plan, and encourage as much positive work on heritage items in the area as possible.
Projects funded through this program may include (and not be limited to): conservation and maintenance works projects; adaptive reuse projects; urban design projects that support heritage; interpretation projects; and conservation management plans.
Projects that are normally funded
- Repairing walls, verandahs, windows or roof plumbing on older buildings.
- Repairing or reconstructing traditional front fences or other boundary work to protect older houses or sites.
- Repairing and conserving older buildings, historic remnants or grave sites.
Funding will not provided for
- New buildings, extensions or unsympathetic work.
- Routine maintenance (eg lawn mowing, gutter cleaning or carpet cleaning).
- Projects where adequate funding is available from the applicant or other sources.
- Projects where substantial government assistance has been previously provided.
- Projects where the applicant has yet to complete other assisted projects.
- New commemorative monuments or works.
- The purchase of heritage buildings.
- The relocation of buildings or work to relocated buildings.
- Private headstones, unless there is no possibility of descendant support for the project.
The council says they aim to assist as many local heritage owners as possible and that the fund is administered on this basis. Following assessment of the applications, funding will be allocated in accordance with the scope and scale of each project.
In this regard, the council applies the funding priorities and criteria listed on its website in assessment of applications. Other factors for consideration are the project scale, scope of works required, necessity, and application quality.
In all cases, the property owner will be required to provide at least matching finance for the project.
Fund information can be found by downloading the links on the Inverell Shire Council website or by contacting the council’s planning officer, Elise Short, on 02 6728 8200.