Council offers helping hand with heritage matters

MILDURA Rural City Council is offering free monthly in-person heritage assessments for Mildura residents.

People wanting to know if their building has significant heritage value or wondering about a public place they want preserved can speak to a specialist heritage advisor.

Garry Stanley, who has provided restoration advice on local sites including Rio Vista, will be available by appointment one day each month to provide a broad range of heritage advice, including heritage assessments of buildings and items on land in the heritage overlay or with potential heritage value; general heritage information about maintaining and or repurposing heritage places, buildings and items; pre-planning permit application advice for proposed future development or works affecting places within the heritage overlay; and assessment of places with potential heritage value, such as buildings, trees and other items of historical significance.

Councillor for arts, culture and heritage Helen Healy said this was a valuable opportunity for residents to obtain free heritage advice.

“Having free access to an experienced heritage advisor is such a valuable resource,” Cr Healy said.

“For example, we know there are those in our community who are keen renovators and by having an expert on hand to provide early guidance in the case of some of our region’s older houses can be a big help.

“Alternatively, residents in older homes may be interested in a heritage assessment of their house or land, or perhaps there’s a public space or building they believe is of historical significance but they want an expert’s assessment.”

Assessments can be conducted in in person with a site visit to the property, online or in some cases by phone.

To make an appointment contact council’s strategic planning team on 5018 8100.