1. What is heritage significance?
Presented by Ian Boersma
Works Manager, Heritage Tasmania;
at Heritage: Everything for Local Planning (HELP) annual forum;
Campbell Town, on 19 September 2013.

2. heritage significance
What is heritage significance?
A quality, commonly ascribed to old buildings.
heritage significance

3. heritage significance
What is heritage significance?
A quality, commonly ascribed to old buildings.
What about the Sydney opera house,
Aboriginal art in the Burrup Peninsula,
the Great Barrier Reef, or
the Thylacine skin rug recently acquired by TMAG?
heritage significance

4. heritage significance
What is heritage significance?
The special level of meaning that elevates, above the ordinary, a thing that we want to keep and pass on to future generations.
heritage significance

5. heritage significance
What is heritage significance?
The special level of meaning that elevates, above the ordinary, a thing that we want to keep and pass on to future generations.
… and how is it relevant to planners?
Places of special meaning enrich our lives, and should therefore be managed so that they remain meaningful.
The retention, alteration or loss of such places have a social effects, which means that planners need to have regard for them in carrying out their responsibilities under the RMPS.
heritage significance

6. heritage significance
What is heritage significance?
The special level of meaning that elevates, above the ordinary, a thing that we want to keep and pass on to future generations.
… and how is it relevant to planners?
Places of special meaning enrich our lives, and should therefore be managed so that they remain meaningful.
The retention, alteration or loss of such places have a social effects, which means that planners need to have regard for them in carrying out their responsibilities under the RMPS.
heritage significance

7. heritage significance
Enrich (general term)
Meaning or Interest (general terms)
Value “heritage values”
Significant “heritage significance”
heritage significance

8. heritage significance
Enrich (general term)
Meaning or Interest (general terms)
Value “heritage values”
Significant “heritage significance”
heritage significance

9. heritage significance
Enrich (general term)
Meaning or Interest (general terms)
Value “heritage values”
Significant “heritage significance”
Cultural heritage as distinct from to natural heritage
Historic heritage as distinct from Aboriginal heritage
heritage significance

10. heritage significance
… and (again) how is it relevant to planners?
heritage significance

11. heritage significance
… and (again) how is it relevant to planners?
Schedule 1 to the Land Use Planning and Approvals Act 1993 clearly spells this out in objective (g):
(g) to conserve those buildings, areas or other places which are of scientific, aesthetic, architectural or historical interest, or otherwise of special cultural value;
It is also implicit in objectives (c) and (f):
(c) to ensure that the effects on the environment are considered and provide for explicit consideration of social and economic effects when decisions are made about the use and development of land;
(f) to secure a pleasant, efficient and safe working, living and recreational environment for all Tasmanians and visitors to Tasmania;
heritage significance

12. heritage significance
Schedule 1 to the Land Use Planning and Approvals Act 1993 clearly spells this out in objective (g):
(g) to conserve those buildings, areas or other places which are of scientific, aesthetic, architectural or historical interest, or otherwise of special cultural value;
It is also implicit in objectives (c) and (f):
(c) to ensure that the effects on the environment are considered and provide for explicit consideration of social and economic effects when decisions are made about the use and development of land;
(f) to secure a pleasant, efficient and safe working, living and recreational environment for all Tasmanians and visitors to Tasmania;
heritage significance
Why these particular points of “interest”?

13. heritage significance
Definition provided by the Australia ICOMOS Burra Charter, Article 1.2
Cultural significance means aesthetic, historic, scientific, social or spiritual value for past, present or future generations.
Cultural significance is embodied in the place itself, its fabric, setting, use, association, meanings, records, related places and related objects.
Places may have a range of values for different individuals or groups.
heritage significance

14. heritage significance
Definition provided by the Australia ICOMOS Burra Charter, Article 1.2
Cultural significance means aesthetic, historic, scientific, social or spiritual value for past, present or future generations.
Cultural significance is embodied in the place itself, its fabric, setting, use, association, meanings, records, related places and related objects.
Places may have a range of values for different individuals or groups.
Definition in the Historic Cultural Heritage Act 1995:
Historic cultural heritage significance, in relation to a place, means significance to any group or community in relation to the archaeological, architectural, cultural, historical, scientific, social or technical value of the place.
heritage significance

15. heritage significance
The points of “interest” found in the objectives and again in these two definitions of cultural significance are more widely known as heritage “values”.
The values listed in these two definitions are:
Burra Charter Heritage Act
aesthetic architectural
historic cultural
scientific historical
social archaeological
spiritual scientific
technical
social
heritage significance

16. heritage significance
These “values” can be expanded into statements of meaning that a thing (ie: place) might possess.
heritage significance

17. heritage significance
These “values” can be expanded into statements of meaning that a thing (ie: place) might possess.
They are the basis for any assessment of significance.
heritage significance

18. heritage significance
These “values” can be expanded into statements of meaning that a thing (ie: place) might possess.
They are the basis for any assessment of significance.
We speak of them as “criteria” for the assessment of significance.
heritage significance

19. heritage significance
These “values” can be expanded into statements of meaning that a thing (ie: place) might possess.
They are the basis for any assessment of significance.
We speak of them as “criteria” for the assessment of significance.
These criteria are found in section 16 of the Historic Cultural Heritage Act 1995.
heritage significance

20. heritage significance
Criterion (a): It is important in demonstrating the
evolution or pattern of Tasmania’s history
heritage significance

21. heritage significance
Criterion (b): It demonstrates rare, uncommon or
endangered aspects of Tasmania’s heritage
heritage significance

22. heritage significance
Criterion (c): It has potential to yield information that
will contribute to an understanding of Tasmania’s history
heritage significance

23. heritage significance
Criterion (d): It is important as a representative in demonstrating the characteristics of a broader class of cultural places
heritage significance

24. heritage significance
Criterion (e): It is important in demonstrating a high degree of creative or technical achievement
heritage significance

25. heritage significance
Criterion (f): It has strong or special meaning for any group or community because of social, cultural or spiritual associations
heritage significance

26. heritage significance
Criterion (g): It has a special association with the life or work of a person, a group or organisation that was important in Tasmania’s history
heritage significance

27. heritage significance
It is recognized that heritage places have different level of significance, and are managed accordingly:
heritage significance

28. heritage significance
Further reading:
heritage significance