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Heritage Protection Fund

HELPING PRESERVE HERITAGE VALUES

The outside of the White Hart Hotel taken from Devon St.

What is the Heritage Protection Fund?

The Heritage Protection Fund was established by the Council to help private landowners manage, maintain and preserve the heritage values of their properties. It provides a partial contribution towards the cost of a specific heritage project or work.

What items are covered by the fund?

Applications can be made for any item identified in the heritage schedule of the District Plan, including:

Heritage buildings, items, places or areas.
Significant areas of vegetation or wetlands.
Individual trees or groups of trees.
Geological features.
Waahi tapu sites and areas.
Archaeological sites.

It may also apply to items that are not listed in the District Plan if they meet the Council’s criteria for significance.

What work will be eligible for assistance?

Essential maintenance, restoration or strengthening of the structure of heritage buildings or objects, e.g. earthquake strengthening or re-roofing.
Rehabilitation or retention of the original character of heritage buildings or objects, e.g. facades.
Fencing of waahi tapu sites, trees, bush and wetlands. Joint applications from the iwi/hapu and landowner are required for waahi tapu sites.
Conservation plans for buildings, items or places.
Any other works required to conserve or preserve heritage values.

The proposed work must be necessary to ensure the item’s safety, conservation or preservation. Any work completed before the Council evaluates the application is not eligible for funding.

Criteria for deciding the application

A points system based mainly on heritage attributes and public visibility and accessibility is used to evaluate applications.

It is unusual for private dwellings to qualify unless they are of extreme importance. Items or sites that have some public use or access will be given priority, e.g. churches, historic houses open to the public, and areas of protected bush privately owned but open to the public.

The amount of funding will depend on the resources of the applicant and the availability of funds.

How do I apply?

Applications for funding can be made by property owners or organisations.

Applications are invited throughout the year and are considered by the Council's Monitoring Committee every six weeks.