Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts annual report 2008-09
Volume one
Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, 2009
ISSN 1441-9335
Outcome 1 - Environment (continued)
Natural, Indigenous and historic heritage
Introduction
The Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts identifies, protects and conserves Australia's natural and cultural heritage places, including Indigenous and historic heritage.
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Heritage Division |
Highlights
- In 2008-09, $6 million of heritage project funding was made available as part of the $60 million heritage component of the government's Jobs Fund. Heritage projects funded include: the Budj Bim National Heritage Landscape Visitor Enhancement Project, Victoria; restoration and conservation of Old Government House at Parramatta, New South Wales; conservation and interpretation of John Curtin's House at Cottesloe, Western Australia; restoration of the Rippon Lea grotto at Elsternwick, Victoria; and conservation and adaptation of the Wilcannia Post Office, New South Wales.
- The Adelaide Park Lands and City Layout; the Australian Alps; and the QANTAS Hangar, Longreach, were added to the National Heritage List. There are now 82 places in the List.
- The Australian Government, working closely with Papua New Guinea, has taken major steps to protect the Kokoda Track and Owen Stanley Ranges and to improve the livelihoods of local communities along the Track corridor.
- On 3 April 2009, at the Sydney Opera House, the minister opened the inaugural meeting of the Australian World Heritage Advisory Committee. This Committee advises heritage ministers on issues affecting Australia's World Heritage properties and gives site managers a forum to share management information.
- The Australian-initiated workshop on the Future of the World Heritage Convention, held in Paris in February 2009, has been widely seen as the key initiative currently underway in the World Heritage Committee.
Objectives
- Identify, protect, conserve and celebrate Australia's natural, Indigenous and historic heritage places that are of national and world significance.
- Identify, protect and conserve heritage places that are Commonwealth owned or leased.
- Promote Australia's reputation internationally, strengthen the integrity of the World Heritage Convention and assist countries in Australia's region with identifying and protecting their World Heritage.
- Increase knowledge and appreciation of Australia's maritime heritage, while protecting shipwrecks and associated relics.
- Work with the Papua New Guinea Government to protect the Kokoda Track and Owen Stanley Ranges.
Results
- Continued development of the National Heritage List, with the addition of several new places, and work to build public awareness and appreciation of Australia's heritage.
- Activities to promote public awareness of Australia's heritage included:
- development of National Heritage List interpretative products. More than 25 per cent of all listed sites have these products installed, including such iconic places as the Wet Tropics of Queensland, the Great Barrier Reef, Flemington Racecourse, the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Warrumbungles National Park, Bondi Beach, and Fremantle Prison in Western Australia, and
- partnerships with corporate organisations and cultural institutions. Ten mini-documentaries on National Heritage List places were filmed in partnership with Screen Australia for the third of the ABC Television's successful National Treasures series. The series aired on 6 August 2009.
- In 2008-09 ministerial heritage announcements and events included:
- coverage of the first 33 projects funded under the $60 million heritage component of the Australian Government's Jobs Fund
- funding for World Heritage properties under the Caring for our Country program and for World Heritage projects in the Asia-Pacific region, announced by the minister at the time of the Pacific Island World Heritage Workshop in October 2008, and
- projects involving World Heritage properties announced by the minister on World Heritage Day (18 April).
- The Australian Government, working closely with the Papua New Guinea Government, through the Kokoda Development Program, has: refurbished the health centre at Efogi; upgraded the health radio network and trained health workers in villages along the Track; supplied school curriculum materials; and provided transport assistance to get teachers to villages. The department has provided assistance to help the new Kokoda Track Authority to operate professionally and to develop the Track as a world class trekking experience.
- The department, with the New Zealand Government and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) World Heritage Centre, co-hosted the Pacific Islands World Heritage Workshop in Cairns from 13-17 October 2008 - the largest and most senior gathering of Pacific heritage experts to date. The workshop produced a number of outstanding results including; the development of preambular text for the 2010-2015 Pacific Action Plan; consensus on the purpose and objectives of a 'sustainable financing mechanism' to support the World Heritage Convention in the Pacific; and an initial paper on long-term approaches to increase heritage management capacity in the region.
- In recognition of its contribution to leadership in the World Heritage Committee, Australia was elected World Heritage Vice-President for the Asia-Pacific region.
- HMAS Sydney II and HSK Kormoran were permanently protected under the Historic Shipwrecks Act.
- HMCS Mermaid was discovered and a protected zone placed around it; and the SS Florence D was identified and gazetted as a historic shipwreck with a protected zone.
- The department continued its work on heritage economics. In July 2008 it finalised a study into the economic contribution made by 15 of Australia's World Heritage properties and, in early 2009, commissioned the first part of a valuation study for historic heritage places.
- The department, working with the Victorian Government, transferred ownership of the 90 hectare Point Nepean Quarantine Station from the Commonwealth to the state of Victoria.
- The department's Heritage Division assessed 181 referrals for proposed actions that had, will have, or might have, a significant impact on the values of National or Commonwealth Heritage places.
Strategies
Australia's World, National and Commonwealth Heritage places are of natural, Indigenous or historic significance or any combination of the three. They are important places to Australia's sense of national identity and shared values; their ongoing protection and recognition benefits all Australians.
The Australian Government's main legislation to protect heritage places is the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. The Act protects the heritage values of places in the following lists:
- World Heritage List: listed places are of outstanding universal value and are inscribed under the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (usually referred to as the World Heritage Convention).
- National Heritage List: listed places are of outstanding heritage value to the nation.
- Commonwealth Heritage List: listed places are of significant heritage value and are owned or leased by the Australian Government.
The department manages the processes set up by the EPBC Act, provides heritage listing advice to the government, and advises property managers on heritage management plans and strategies. It supports the Australian Heritage Council in its assessment, advice, public information and awareness activities.
World Heritage List
Nominations for the World Heritage List are made by national governments and assessed for inclusion in the list by the World Heritage Committee. Australia has 17 World Heritage properties on the list.
In January 2008, the Australian Government lodged a serial nomination for 11 convict sites to be inscribed in the World Heritage List. The nomination was prepared with the support of the New South Wales, Tasmanian, Western Australian and Norfolk Island governments. An expert mission from the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Body, the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), is expected to evaluate the sites late in 2009.
The nomination states that the sites are of outstanding universal value, as an exceptional example of the forced migration of convicts, an important stage of human history (criterion vi) and a significant example of global ideas and developments associated with the punishment and reform of the criminal elements of humanity (criterion vi).
The department is developing a new World Heritage nomination for the Ningaloo Coast in Western Australia. Working with state officials, the department is completing the nomination dossier and management framework and has undertaken extensive community consultation. The nomination is scheduled for submission by February 2010.
Australian World Heritage Tentative List
Under the Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention (2005), the Australian Government is responsible for preparing an Australian World Heritage Tentative List. The List is an inventory of Australian properties considered suitable for inscription in the World Heritage List over the next 10 years. On 1 July 2008, the Ningaloo Coast was added to Australia's Tentative List. In May 2009, the Environment Protection and Heritage Council1 agreed that a revised Tentative List should be submitted in two stages to the World Heritage Committee. The first submission of properties for the Tentative List will be later in 2009; an update may be made in 2010 or 2011.
National and Commonwealth Heritage listings
Under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, the minister is responsible for including places in the National and Commonwealth Heritage Lists. In 2008-09, the minister called for public nominations for both lists. Nominations for the National Heritage List gave priority to the heritage theme of "A Free and Fair Australia". Thirty-nine public nominations for the National Heritage List were received before the cut-off date of 3 February 2009, including several places re-nominated after their earlier nomination had lapsed. Five nominations were received for the Commonwealth Heritage List.
In 2008-09, the minister added three places to the national list: the Adelaide Park Lands and City Layout; the Australian Alps; and the QANTAS Hangar, Longreach. No places were added to the Commonwealth Heritage List. As of 30 June 2009, there were 82 national heritage places (including places from each state and territory) and 339 places in the Commonwealth list. Three places became ineligible for the Commonwealth list following their sale and were removed from the list.
Emergency listings
The minister can 'emergency list' places that may have National or Commonwealth heritage values if those values are under imminent threat. The Australian Heritage Council must assess emergency listed places, to allow the minister to decide on their future.
In 2008-09 the minister received requests to emergency list seven places in the National Heritage List: the Cairns Yacht Club; Catherine Hill Bay Conservation Area; Keyline Farming Development Site, Richmond; Blacksmith Workshop, Eveleigh; Jervis Bay and surrounding area, Nowra; the Dog on the Tuckerbox, Gundagai; and The Cliffe, Peppermint Grove, Western Australia. The minister considered and rejected the requests for the first six places in 2008-09 having found no evidence that the requests satisfied the legislative requirements for the places to possess national heritage values under likely and imminent threat. The minister made his decision on The Cliffe in July 2009 (rejecting the request).
There were no requests during 2008-09 to emergency list places in the Commonwealth Heritage List.
The minister's decisions are reported on the heritage notices website at: www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/epbc/heritage_ap.pl.
World Heritage management
The Australian Government provided $8.705 million in 2008-09 from the Caring for our Country program to help the states manage world heritage properties so that their protection and promotion are consistent with undertakings under the World Heritage Convention. The program funded on-ground priority projects and management support, including community consultation and coordination.
National and Commonwealth heritage management
The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 provides for the preparation of a management plan for each place in the National and Commonwealth Heritage Lists. In 2008-09, the department commented on eight management plans; three for National Heritage List places, and five for Commonwealth Heritage List places. It also advised on 11 plans being prepared for the serial nomination of convict sites to the World Heritage List.
The EPBC Act requires Australian Government agencies that own or lease places with listed or potential Commonwealth heritage values to prepare written heritage strategies for managing the places, to protect and conserve those values. In 2008-09, one agency completed its strategy, bringing to 14 the number of strategies completed. The department reminded a number of Australian Government agencies without completed strategies of their obligations under the Act. Twelve agencies advised the department that they expected to complete their strategies during 2009-10.
Under the EPBC Act, an Australian Government agency responsible for a place that has, or might have, Commonwealth Heritage values, must take all reasonable steps to assist the minister and the Australian Heritage Council to identify, assess and monitor the place's Commonwealth Heritage values (section 341Z).
The department, working closely with the Victorian Government, transferred ownership of the 90 hectare Point Nepean Quarantine Station from the Commonwealth to the state of Victoria. The Quarantine Station comprises a significant number of heritage buildings, and discussions focused on ensuring continuing protection for its National and Commonwealth Heritage values. The transfer took place on 8 June 2009.
The Australian World Heritage Advisory Committee
The Australian World Heritage Advisory Committee was established in November 2008. It provides federal and state heritage ministers with advice on strategic issues affecting Australia's World Heritage properties. It also gives Australia's World Heritage site managers a forum to share information on best-practice management and to improve protection of World Heritage properties. The Committee comprises representatives from each of Australia's World Heritage properties, and two representatives from the Australian World Heritage Indigenous Network. The minister opened the Committee's inaugural meeting on 3 April 2009 at the Sydney Opera House.
The Heritage Working Group
In November 2008 the minister established the Heritage Working Group to provide expert advice aimed at improving the protection, conservation, promotion and awareness of Australia's heritage. The Working Group is looking at ways to build greater community awareness of the value of heritage. It also advises the minister on ways to increase the economic and social benefits of heritage, particularly through tourism, and to increase private and public investment in conserving heritage assets.
The Working Group comprises members with a range of knowledge and experience in historic, natural and Indigenous heritage, tourism and economics. The eight members are: Mr Tom Harley (heritage); Dr Gaye Sculthorpe (Indigenous heritage); Associate Professor Peter Valentine (conservation and natural heritage); Ms Kristal Buckley (archaeology and heritage); Dr Graeme Blackman (heritage); Professor David Throsby (economics, heritage); Associate Professor Don Garden (social and environmental history); and Mr Chris Brown (tourism, business).
Cooperative National Heritage Agenda
In May 2006, the Environment Protection and Heritage Council agreed to develop a Cooperative National Heritage Agenda as the basis for enhanced national heritage cooperation. The department has responsibility for coordinating a number of priority projects: reaching national agreement on consistent heritage criteria and thresholds, completed with the publication (at the end of 2008) of A Guide to Heritage Listing in Australia - Thresholds for Different Levels of Heritage, to improve public understanding of heritage thresholds in Australia; and developing a comprehensive national heritage inventory and information portal (in development). The department also provided financial assistance to Heritage Victoria to develop and complete the Supporting local government, Heritage and environmental sustainability project (commercial heritage buildings) and the Professional and trade heritage training project. At its meeting in May 2009 the Environment Protection and Heritage Council agreed to add seven new projects and sub-projects to revitalise and expand the list of priority projects identified since 2006.
Kokoda Track
In 2008-09 the Australian and Papua New Guinea governments made significant progress in implementing the 2008 Joint Understanding on the Kokoda Track and Owen Stanley Ranges. A key element of the Joint Understanding is the Kokoda Development Program, which is focused on improving basic services (including health, education, water and sanitation) for Track communities. In 2008-09, the program: re-furbished the health centre at Efogi (a village about half-way along the track); upgraded the health radio network; supplied school curriculum materials; and flew teachers into villages for the new school year. The Papua New Guinea Government established a new Kokoda Track Authority Management Committee. Three Australian-funded experts are now working for the new Authority to build capacity and develop the Track as a world-class trekking experience. The department also helped Papua New Guinean and Australian trek operators to develop a Kokoda Track Code of Conduct. It deployed two Australian Government advisors to the Papua New Guinea Department of Environment and Conservation to assist its National Taskforce implement the Joint Understanding. There have also been successful placements of staff members from Papua New Guinea in Australia, to build technical expertise in Papua New Guinea.
World Heritage Committee membership
Australia was elected to the World Heritage Committee in October 2007 for a four-year term. Primary objectives for Australia during its term are to improve heritage management capacity in our region and strengthen the integrity of the World Heritage Convention.
Australia achieved significant results at its first meeting on the committee (the 32nd Session of the World Heritage Committee in Quebec, July 2008). The Committee: agreed to Australia's proposal to convene a workshop to discuss the future of the World Heritage Convention; elected Australia Vice-President for the Asia-Pacific region; and assigned Australia a leadership role in working groups on buffer zones, periodic reporting and the finances of the World Heritage Centre. Australia was also a constructive participant in discussions on the inscription of new sites to the World Heritage List and the review of the state of conservation of listed properties.
The department continues to work within the World Heritage Convention to identify, protect and conserve Australia's natural and cultural heritage. During 2008-09, the department made a significant contribution to developing World Heritage policy by participating in international expert meetings on: the future of the World Heritage Convention; sustainable tourism; buffer zones; the finances of the World Heritage Centre; and serial national and transnational natural World Heritage sites.
The Future of the World Heritage Convention
As a result of Australia's proposal, and with Australian sponsorship, a workshop was held in Paris in February 2009 to consider the future of the World Heritage Convention in the light of its forthcoming 40th anniversary (2012), and the anticipated inscription of the 1000th property on the World Heritage List around that time. The workshop was attended by 186 experts from 72 countries and identified a range of key challenges for the Convention. Discussion on this item continued at the 33rd Session of the World Heritage Committee (Seville, June 2009), with decisions to be made on the next steps at the 17th General Assembly of States Parties (October 2009).
Pacific Islands World Heritage Workshop
The department co-hosted the Pacific Islands World Heritage Workshop in Cairns from 13-17 October 2008. The workshop brought together 85 participants from 17 Pacific Island countries and territories, plus World Heritage advisory bodies, New Zealand and the UNESCO World Heritage Centre.
At the workshop the minister announced a government commitment of $1 million to help build World Heritage capacity in Pacific Island countries. The meeting also: produced a draft "2010-15 Pacific Action Plan"; finalised an agreement to investigate models for sustainable funding arrangements for Pacific World Heritage activities; and agreed to a strategy to improve capacity in the Pacific Island states to address World Heritage issues. This was the largest and most senior gathering of Pacific World Heritage experts to date.
Support for World Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region
Since 2007 Australia has provided $2.5 million to UNESCO to support World Heritage initiatives internationally, with a focus on the Asia-Pacific region.
The department is working with UNESCO and Cambodia to better protect the World Heritage site of Angkor. The Australian Government contributed $1.13 million to a project to help maintain the site. The aim is to ensure that visitors can continue to access it appropriately, in a way that will continue to bring major economic and social benefits to Cambodia. The project will help local communities boost their income and strengthen the technical expertise and governance arrangements in Cambodia.
Australia also supports World Heritage through the Asia-Pacific Focal Point, a regional network for World Heritage managers, established to help Asia-Pacific countries adopt and implement the World Heritage Convention. It promotes best-practice in heritage management and helps World Heritage managers share information and experience, and to identify and secure funding for World Heritage activities.
The department provides the secretariat for the network and, through it, supports regional activities and projects. In 2008-09, it provided support for several projects, including:
- an Australian training expert to attend the 2009 United Nations Institute for Training and Research workshop on Management and Conservation of World Heritage Sites, in Hiroshima
- technical assistance for Kiribati's development of a World Heritage nomination for the Phoenix Island Protected Area
- Pacific Islanders funded to attend the conference, Pacific Island Archaeology in the 21st Century: Relevance and Engagement, in Palau, and
- a heritage and tourism project in Vanuatu to assist the Lelema community with the development of a cultural tour of Chief Roi Mata's Domain, recently added to the World Heritage List.
Publications
The Australian Heritage Council commissioned Dr John Hirst to develop a study about the history of democracy in Australia and the places where its defining events occurred. The Council published the study, titled Building a Free Australia: Places of Democracy, for distribution in May 2009.
Indigenous heritage
The department works with other government agencies and the community to protect the cultural heritage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. The work includes: providing advice on proposals referred under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999; supporting projects to identify, conserve or promote Indigenous heritage; and providing emergency protection to areas and objects of cultural and traditional significance in Australia.
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act 1984
Under the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act 1984, the minister can protect places and objects of traditional significance to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders from threats of injury or desecration. This 'last resort' protection is available only when there is no effective protection under state or territory laws.
In 2008-09 the department dealt with 22 applications for protection of places. Eight had been submitted in the previous year, 14 were new. Three applications were withdrawn following successful mediation under section 13(3) of the Act. Following extensive investigations and natural justice processes, the minister found there was insufficient evidence for him to provide protection for the eight applications for emergency protection and one application for longer term protection that he considered. The minister is awaiting the independent reports that he must consider before making a decision on longer term protection for six areas. He is affording procedural fairness to parties before making decisions on the remaining applications.
Indigenous Heritage Program
The department administers the government's Indigenous Heritage Program. The Program helps identify, conserve and to promote, where appropriate, the Indigenous heritage values of places important to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. The department also helps to identify places likely to have outstanding Indigenous heritage value to Australia; that is, places suitable for inclusion in the National Heritage List.
The department received 126 applications seeking funding from the $3.576 million available in 2008-09. The minister approved funding for a diverse range of projects across Australia: eight in New South Wales, 12 in the Northern Territory, 10 in Queensland, seven in South Australia, two in Tasmania, two in Victoria, and 16 in Western Australia. Examples of funded projects include:
- $98,651 for the Ngadjuri Heritage Committee to identify, record, manage and promote cultural heritage places on the traditional lands of the Ngadjuri people in the mid-north region of South Australia.
- $41,500 to build a boardwalk around a freshwater mussel midden site, install three interpretive signs and construct protective barriers around a scarred tree in far North Queensland.
- $72,400 to help protect sites of significance such as burials, campsites, bora grounds and hunting grounds in the Walgett region in New South Wales.
- $90,000 for the South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council, to develop a Cultural Heritage Database system for the Yued region in Western Australia. It will incorporate cultural heritage site mapping; oral histories; cultural resource mapping; an integrated geographic information system (GIS); and photographic information.
Indigenous heritage projects are also supported through shared responsibility and regional partnership agreements with Indigenous communities. The agreements provide services to Indigenous communities under the Australian Government's whole-of-government arrangements for Indigenous affairs and involve both government and community contributions.
Australia's maritime heritage
Historic shipwrecks
The department administers the Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976 and the Historic Shipwrecks Program.
In November 2008 the minister announced that the historic shipwrecks of HMAS Sydney II and HSK Kormoran, off the Western Australian coast, were now fully protected under the Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976. This protection makes it an offence to disturb or damage these nationally important ship wrecks, that are also final resting places of many servicemen lost in battle in 1942.
In January 2009 the minister announced the discovery of HMCS Mermaid and declared a protected zone around it. One of the greatest of Australia's early maritime surveyors, Lieutenant Phillip Parker King RN, commanded the Mermaid in voyages from 1819 to 1822, surveying the Australian coastline. Parker King conducted the first reliable survey of the Great Barrier Reef Inner Route, opening the passage to commercial traffic. Ironically, after the completion of King's surveys, and under another commander, it was on the Great Barrier Reef that the Mermaid ran aground and was wrecked on 13 June 1829.
In April 2009 the minister declared that SS Florence D, a 2600 tonne merchant ship, found off Bathurst Island in the Northern Territory, was a protected historic shipwreck. On 19 February 1942, the SS Florence D was running armaments to American forces in the Philippines when Japanese bombers, returning from the first air attack on Darwin, caught and sank her.
In May 2009 the M24 midget submarine, one of three midget submarines that attacked Sydney Harbour in the late afternoon of 31 May and morning of 1 June 1942, was declared a historic shipwreck under the Act.
During 2008-09 the department developed a public interface for the Australian National Shipwrecks Database, including a GIS component and online application forms. This provides public access to a centralised database of Australia's historic shipwrecks and relics.
In February 2009 the department hosted two AusAID Australian Leadership Award fellows: Mr Erbprem Vatcharangkul, Director Thailand Underwater Archaeology Division and Mr Nady Phann, Deputy Director General Cultural Heritage, Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, Cambodia, to learn about Australia's approach and systems for management of underwater cultural heritage.
The Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976 has been highly successful in protecting known and unknown shipwrecks in Australian waters. However the Act is over 30 years old and no longer reflects current best practice heritage management. The Act is currently under review to bring it up to international standards.
Historic Shipwrecks Program
The Historic Shipwrecks Program funds the day-to-day administration by states and territories, of the Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976. This covers protection, conservation and preservation of historic shipwrecks and relics, and the ongoing discovery, survey and documentation of historic shipwreck resources.
The department administers the program in collaboration with the states, the Northern Territory, and Norfolk Island. In 2008-09, the department provided $440,322 to the program to support the work of state and territory based Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976 delegates and the Australasian Institute for Maritime Archaeology.
Evaluation
Heritage Economics
In 2007 the department hosted a workshop for economists, heritage experts and policy makers, to discuss further research into the value of heritage and the costs and benefits of heritage listing.2 This led to a number of projects on heritage economics being undertaken in 2008-09. The department commissioned a study into the economic activity associated with Australia's World Heritage properties. The report, finalised in July 2008, highlights the contribution that 15 of Australia's World Heritage properties make to Australia's national, regional and local economies (it does not cover the Great Barrier Reef and Heard Island and the McDonald Islands), finding Australia's World Heritage places contribute $12 billion to the economy annually and support over 120 000 jobs across the country.3
In early 2009 the department allocated $140,000 through the Commonwealth Environment Research Facility's Environmental Economics Hub, to undertake the first part of a valuation study of historic heritage places. Professor David Throsby, from Macquarie University, will conduct the first part of the study in 2009-10, developing a methodology and valuation survey. The second part, to be undertaken in future years, will involve data collection and analysis, to develop a set of transferable estimates of value for various historic heritage attributes.
Case study
QANTAS Hangar, Longreach Queensland
On 22 May 2009 the minister included the QANTAS Hangar at Longreach in the National Heritage List. The hangar, a modest galvanised-iron building, is a key site in Australia's aviation history. It was here, in 1922, that QANTAS started its operations with two small planes. It is closely associated with Hudson Fysh, Paul J McGinness, Fergus McMaster and Arthur Baird; central figures in the establishment of the airline.
The hangar is also important for its association with the Aerial Medical Service (Royal Flying Doctor Service), which started in 1928. QANTAS supplied the first planes for the Flying Doctors and provided logistical support from the Longreach hangar.
From its humble beginnings in this modest hangar, the 'flying kangaroo' has grown to become a major international airline.
QANTAS Hangar, Longreach Queensland.
Results for performance indicators
| Performance Indicator Target |
2008-09 results |
|---|---|
| Australia's Heritage areas are identified and protected 1 World Heritage area submitted for Listing |
None submitted for listing - but Ningaloo nomination being finalised. |
| 10 National Heritage places listed | 3 National Heritage places listed. |
| 6 Commonwealth Heritage places listed | No Commonwealth Heritage places listed. |
| Enhanced protection of Australian Government heritage listed places 95% of requests from owners and states and territories, for assistance with the completion of management plans for the:
|
95% of requests responded to within 20 working days. |
| Continuing to invest in the management of World Heritage areas | $8.705 million was allocated to state managed natural and mixed (both natural and cultural) World Heritage properties, from the Caring for our Country program. |
| Governance arrangements with states and territories are streamlined by the end of 2008 | Governance arrangements with states and territories were streamlined through the establishment of the Australian World Heritage Advisory Committee and agreement to Management and Funding Principles for Australia's World Heritage places - which was approved by the Environment Protection and Heritage Council in November 2008. |
| Applications under Australian Heritage laws are considered and processed 100% of applications or referrals considered under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act 1984 are processed and considered within statutory timeframes |
98% of EPBC Act referrals processed within statutory timeframes. 100% of applications under the ATSIHP Act dealt with before threatening activity commenced. |
| 100% of applications considered under the Protection of Movable Cultural Heritage Act 1986 were processed in accordance with the requirements of the Act. Note: Performance indicator from the Portfolio Budget Statements 2008-09 reworded to more accurately reflect the requirements of the Protection of Movable Cultural Heritage Act 1986. |
100% of applications considered under the PMCH Act were processed in accordance with the requirements of the Act. |
| Australia's historic shipwrecks are managed in accordance with funding agreements All funding agreements with NSW, Vic, Qld, WA, SA, Tas, NT and Norfolk Island to implement the Historic Shipwrecks Program are negotiated |
All agreements negotiated. |
| Agreement with Papua New Guinea Government to help protect the Kokoda Track Agreement reached with Papua New Guinea by mid-2008 on practical steps to be undertaken to protect the Kokoda Track |
Joint Understanding signed with Papua New Guinea in April 2008, agreeing a two-year work program to protect the Kokoda Track. |
| Australia's Indigenous Heritage areas are Protected Funding for 30 projects to conserve Indigenous Heritage |
Funding of $3.576 million awarded for projects to identify, conserve and promote Indigenous Heritage. 54 projects funded for the identification, conservation and promotion of Indigenous heritage. All Indigenous Heritage project funding was committed and spent. |
| Australia's international reputation on heritage is enhanced 3 cooperative projects with countries in Australia's region |
$1.3 million to assist the Cambodian Government to better protect the Angkor Wat World Heritage site. Co-hosting the Pacific Islands World Heritage Workshop, bringing together participants from 17 Pacific Island countries to improve World Heritage capacity. Support to World Heritage Initiatives in Kiribati, Vanuatu and Palau. |
Resources
| Administered items | Budget 2008-09 $'000 (a) |
Actual Expenses 2008-09 $'000 (b) |
Variation $'000 (a)-(b) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appropriation Bill 1 | |||
| National Trust Partnership Program | 911 | 911 | - |
| National Heritage Investment Initiative | 200 | 199 | 1 |
| Indigenous Heritage Programme | 3,576 | 3,576 | - |
| Point Nepean Community Trust and rental Guarantee | 300 | 300 | |
| Point Nepean Heritage Program | - | 16,800 | (16,800) |
| Point Nepean Heritage Assets | - | 61,943 | (61,943) |
| Kokoda Track | 3,651 | 2,258 | 1,393 |
| Jobs Fund Heritage | 6,000 | 5,999 | 1 |
| Special Accounts | |||
| National Cultural Heritage (Administered) | 500 | 371 | 129 |
| Departmental Outputs | |||
| Conservation of natural, indigenous and historic heritage | 22,332 | 24,986 | (2,654) |
| Subtotal for Output 1.4 | 37,470 | 117,043 | (79,573) |
Footnotes:
1 The Environment Protection and Heritage Council is a council of heritage and environment ministers from all levels of government in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea (with observer status). Its objective is to ensure the protection of the environment and heritage of Australia and New Zealand.
2 Papers presented at the workshop are available on the department's website, along with key documents on heritage economics, at: www.environment.gov.au/heritage/about/economics/index.html.
3 The report is available on the department's website at: www.environment.gov.au/heritage/publications/report/index.html.
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