Annual reports

Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts Annual Report 2009-10

Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, 2010
ISSN 1441-9335

Outcome 5 - Protecting and enhancing Australia's culture and heritage

Participation in, and access to, Australia's culture and heritage through developing and supporting cultural expression, and protecting and conserving Australia's heritage.

Main responsibilities for this outcome
  • Developing policy, research and statistics
  • Administering legislation and funding
  • Supporting the elite national arts training organisations
  • Operating the National Portrait Gallery and Artbank
  • Working with portfolio agencies to achieve the government's objectives
  • Providing oversight of the national network, to deliver Indigenous arts, culture, languages and broadcasting programs
 Arts Division, Culture Division and the National Portrait Gallery
  • Develop and implement the government's policies, programs and legislation to identify, protect, conserve and celebrate Australia's natural, Indigenous and historic assets
  • Assist the Australian Heritage Council to assess places nominated for possible inclusion in the National Heritage List and Commonwealth Heritage List
  • Provide grant funding for high quality heritage projects to identify, conserve and protect Australia's heritage
  • Through our membership of the World Heritage Committee lead Australia's involvement in the World Heritage Convention, and work with countries in the Asia-Pacific region to help them identify and protect their heritage
  • Administer the Commonwealth's obligations under: the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999; the Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage 1972; the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act 1984; the Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976; and the Wet Tropics World Heritage Protection and Management Act 1993
 Heritage Division

Highlights

Objectives

18 September 2009 - Mr Koichiro Matsuura, Director-General of UNESCO, received from HE Ms Sally Mansfield, then Ambassador, Permanent Delegate of Australia to UNESCO, the instrument of accession to the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, 2005

18 September 2009 - Mr Koïchiro Matsuura, Director-General of UNESCO, received from HE Ms Sally Mansfield, then Ambassador, Permanent Delegate of Australia to UNESCO, the instrument of accession to the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, 2005.

Photo: Andrew Wheeler, UNESCO

Results

Potters' Portrait Pot by Irene Mbitjana Entata, Virginia Mbitjana Rontji, Lindy Panangka Rontji, Rahel Kngwarria Ungwanaka, Rona Panangka Rubuntja, Dawn Ngala Wheeler, Judith Pungkarta Inkamala, Anita Mbitjana Ratara, Hayley Coulthard and Clara Ngala Inkamala. Fired terracotta clay, underglaze

Potters' Portrait Pot by Irene Mbitjana Entata, Virginia Mbitjana Rontji, Lindy Panangka Rontji, Rahel Kngwarria Ungwanaka, Rona Panangka Rubuntja, Dawn Ngala Wheeler, Judith Pungkarta Inkamala, Anita Mbitjana Ratara, Hayley Coulthard and Clara Ngala Inkamala. Fired terracotta clay, underglaze.

Photo: National Portrait Gallery, Commissioned 2009

Marcia Langton 2009 by Brook Andrew. Unique screenprint

Marcia Langton 2009 by Brook Andrew. Unique screenprint.

Photo: National Portrait Gallery, Commissioned with funds provided by Marilyn Darling AC 2009

Strategies

Arts policy

The department continued to develop an arts policy to support excellence and access to Australia's cultural activities, working closely with key bodies such as the Cultural Ministers Council and the Australia Council.

The National Arts and Disability Strategy was agreed to and released by the Cultural Ministers Council on 9 October 2009. The strategy is a framework that the Australian, state and territory governments can use to assess their existing programs, consider new opportunities and directions, and identify new partnerships and initiatives to support access and participation in the arts by people with a disability. The strategy was the culmination of an extensive consultation process involving the arts and disability sector and people with a disability. The Cultural Ministers Council established an implementation steering committee to have oversight of the strategy. The department chairs and provides secretariat services for this committee.

The Resale Royalty Right for Visual Artists Act 2009 received royal assent and came into effect on 9 December 2010 and the resale royalty scheme commenced on 9 June 2010.

The Act establishes the resale royalty scheme under which visual artists are entitled to receive five per cent of the sale price on original works of art when they are resold on the commercial market for $1,000 or more. The resale royalty right applies to works by living artists and for a period of 70 years after an artist's death.

The Act provides for the minister to appoint one collecting society to administer the scheme for up to five years. In early 2010 the department conducted an open tender to identify the collecting society. Copyright Agency Limited (CAL) was selected as the successful tenderer and on 7 April 2010 the minister announced that CAL would be engaged to administer the scheme. CAL was formally appointed by the minister under the Act for a period of five years on 27 May 2010.

The department developed a draft Strategic Contemporary Music Industry Plan as a means of enhancing continuing cooperation within the industry. The minister released the plan for targeted consultation in April 2010. The views of the industry will be considered as the plan and proposed initiatives are developed further. The strategic plan is expected to be finalised in 2010-11.

A document entitled Supporting Australia's Live Music Industry: Suggested Principles for Best Practice was endorsed by the Cultural Ministers Council on 9 October 2009, and publicly released on 6 May 2010. The document looks at issues to do with live performance which are affected by regulation and highlights a number of best practice principles that could be considered by government agencies in their own regulatory environments.

Regional and touring programs

The department's cultural touring programs provided audiences across Australia, particularly in regional and remote areas, with access to high-quality performing and visual arts and other Australian cultural material. Funding was provided to major organisations, such as Circus Oz, The Australian Opera, The Australian Chamber Orchestra, The Australian Ballet and Bell Shakespeare Company. A wide variety of smaller organisations were also supported through presenter organisations, and also directly to companies, to tour opera, theatre, contemporary music, and dance in all states and territories. Exhibitions funded under the Visions of Australia program have toured, or are scheduled to tour, to 106 venues in every state and territory. During 2009-10:

Table 1: Regional cultural touring programs: number of metropolitan (M) and regional (R) locations visited by touring exhibitions and productions in 2009–10
Program ACT NSW VIC SA QLD NT WA TAS
  M R M R M R M R M R M R M R M R
Contemporary Music Touring program 20 1 87 154 75 45 21 7 88 73 0 24 28 19 0 15
Playing Australia 7 27 129 229 117 242 330 80 5 176 0 55 29 171 0 72
Visions of Australia 8 0 8 22 6 9 6 1 9 15 3 1 6 7 3 2
Contemporary Touring Initiative 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 4 0 1 0 0 0 0
Table 2: Regional and touring program statistics
2009–10 Contemporary Touring Initiative Playing Australia Contemporary Music Touring program Festivals Australia Visions of Australia
Number of funded/administered activities 1 36 30 59 24
% of applications processed within target timeframe 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
% of payments on time 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
% of funding agreements acquitted 100% 98% 95% 99% 100%
Festivals Australia

The Festivals Australia program assisted with the presentation of arts and cultural activities at Australian regional and community festivals. The emphasis was on supporting new projects that add to the quality and diversity of the arts and cultural programming of festivals. In 2009-10 Festivals Australia supported 59 new arts and/or cultural projects at established regional and community festivals, totalling $879,938 in funding.

Regional Arts Fund

In the 2008-09 Budget the Australian Government announced funding of $11.8 million over four years, from 2008-09 to 2011-12. This funding enables ongoing cultural development in regional and remote Australia, and assistance for the professional skills development of regional artists.

Indigenous arts and culture programs

The department's Indigenous arts and culture programs were coordinated nationally and delivered through a National Network, located in capital cities and regional areas throughout Australia. The network focused on cross-government program delivery, working with Indigenous communities and identifying opportunities to participate in strategic initiatives for Indigenous broadcasting, language, and arts and culture programs:

Return of Indigenous Cultural Property program

The Return of Indigenous Cultural Property program is managed by the department on behalf of the Cultural Ministers Council. The program aims to return ancestral remains and secret sacred objects held in eight major Australian Government and state and territory funded museums where possible and when requested. Since its establishment in 2001 the program supported the return of more than 1,400 ancestral remains and 1,380 secret sacred objects to Indigenous communities. Significant work was undertaken to identify the origins of other ancestral remains and secret sacred objects held in the collections of these museums. This resulted in the identification, to community level, of over 1,000 ancestral remains and over 3,000 secret sacred objects and will lead to the repatriation of more objects to Indigenous communities in the future.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dancers from the Nunukul Yuggera Aboriginal Cultural Dancers and the Wakka Wakka Dance Troupe

Funding of $33,000 for up to 40 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dancers from the Nunukul Yuggera Aboriginal Cultural Dancers and the Wakka Wakka Dance Troupe was provided through the Maintenance of Indigenous Languages and Records program. The troupe performed the traditional Indigenous Australian "war cry" in the Jundai language at the Indigenous All Stars vs NRL All Stars Match on the Gold Coast, Queensland, 13 February 2010.

Indigenous Australian Art Commercial Code of Conduct

With support from the government of $544,000 over three years, the Indigenous visual arts industry developed a strong legal and governance framework to support the effective implementation of the Indigenous Australian Art Commercial Code of Conduct. The implementation of the code is an important step in encouraging ethical commercial practice and sustainable growth across the Indigenous visual arts sector. An independent company, Indigenous Art Code Ltd, will administer the code on behalf of the Indigenous visual arts industry.

2008-09 Indigenous Remote Radio Replacement (IRRR) extended to December 2010

Under the IRRR program, the Australian Government provided $3.3 million over three years to 2008-09, to replace ageing radio infrastructure for Remote Indigenous Broadcasting Services (RIBS). Most organisations are located in very remote areas of Australia and the Torres Strait Islands, where they often provide the only locally relevant news and community information in their communities. Negotiations to extend the IRRR program and expand the number of services receiving equipment upgrades were successful, as substantial savings were achieved through the bulk purchase of equipment. This has enabled the program to continue until December 2010 bringing the total number of RIBS upgraded to 94.

Breakthrough: Emerging Indigenous Contemporary Musicians Recording Initiative

The department administered the Breakthrough program, which was developed as a pilot initiative in response to the Cultural Ministers Council's Indigenous Contemporary Music Action Plan. Breakthrough aims to assist emerging Indigenous musicians and groups to produce a high quality recording of a CD, suitable for broadcast and commercial release, through grants of up to $25,000 each.

In July 2009 the minister announced the first five successful Breakthrough artists. In April 2010 a skills development workshop was delivered on behalf of the department by the Contemporary Independent Creative Artist Development Agency. The workshop was to provide the 2009 Breakthrough artists with essential training in broadcasting and media awareness, with a view to assisting them to publicise and promote their recordings when completed.

Four of the five Breakthrough artists also participated in a showcase concert held on 30 March 2010. The concert was recorded for broadcast by ABC TV and Triple J radio.

In October 2009 the Cultural Ministers Council agreed to extend the pilot initiative for a further year, committing funding of $75,000 to support an additional three artists. The chosen artists will be announced in 2010-11.

Philanthropic support

The department encouraged and facilitated sponsorship and philanthropic support for the cultural sector, through the delivery of the Register of Cultural Organisations, the Cultural Gifts program and funding for the Australia Business Arts Foundation (AbaF).

The tables below show the number and value of gifts made to organisations on the Register of Cultural Organisations, and gifts made through the Cultural Gifts Program, over the last five years.

AbaF promoted private sector support through its partnering, volunteering and giving programs. During 2009-10 AbaF received funding of $1.6 million through the department to support its core operations and infrastructure.

Table 3: Register of Cultural Organisations – number and value of donations received*
  2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10
Number of donations 89,784 108,507 153,721 143,428 220,884
Total value ($m)** 46.6 61.1 67.4 67.2 74.4
Average value ($) 519 563 438 468 337

* Includes contributions from individuals, businesses, and charitable trusts/foundations.
** The number and value of donations received for these financial years may increase, as further statistical returns are received from registered cultural organisations.

Table 4: Cultural Gifts program – number and value of donations processed*
  2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10
Number of donations processed 615 596 617 652 516
Total value ($m) 28.9 33.4 43.2 82.9 34.8

* Donations entered into the department's database and assessed by the Committee on Taxation Incentives for the Arts

Art Indemnity Australia

During 2009-10, Art Indemnity Australia indemnified the following exhibitions:

Exhibitions were displayed in Canberra and Brisbane.

National collecting institutions

The department introduced a new program in 2009-10, the National Collecting Institutions Touring and Outreach program. The program provides $1 million per year over four years to support the portfolio national collecting institutions in developing and touring exhibitions of works from their collections nationally and internationally. Regional centres that received tours in 2009-10 included: Launceston, Tasmania; Ballarat, Victoria; Parkes and Murwillumbah, New South Wales; and Redcliffe, Queensland.

The department supported the national collecting institutions to meet their governance and accountability responsibilities. In collaboration with the Heads of Collecting Institutions forum, the department contributed to a number of initiatives. They included the distribution of the guidelines for best practice in collecting cultural material, published in June 2009, which was well received within the museums sector. The department also provided secretariat support to the sub-committee formed in 2009 to examine the issue of storage of collections.

The department supported three regional programs managed by the national collecting institutions. In 2009-10, $95,000 was provided to support the Maritime Museums of Australia Project Support Scheme, managed by the Australian National Maritime Museum. The Community Heritage Grants program, managed by the National Library of Australia, was provided with $480,000. Support of $17,000 was provided to the Museums Australia 2010 National Conference.

Support for the Bundanon Trust continued, with funding of $1.55 million in 2009-10 for operating, capital maintenance and preservation costs.

Arts training organisations

Seven national performing arts training organisations were supported through the Australian Government's Cultural Development program. The following organisations received operational funding totalling $16.189 million:

At the beginning of the 2010 academic year 1,172 students were enrolled in the national arts training organisations, including 582 participants in the AYO's program. This increase from the 1,050 enrolled in 2009 predominantly reflects increased enrolments in the AYO's program.

The high calibre of training delivered by the organisations was recognised nationally and internationally. Demand for training continues to exceed capacity, enabling the organisations to select the very best applicants each year. The AYO, for example, received 3,328 applications for 582 places in its 2010 programs.

The excellence of the training was also demonstrated by the awards received by students and graduates, and the high take up of graduates from each organisation. For example; in September 2009 NICA students won Bronze at the 4th World Festival of Circus Art in Moscow, having competed against 24 acts from 10 countries; the FFFC was awarded a 2009 Helpmann Award for best presentation for children for its production, The Promise; and six of the 14 dancers with the internationally renowned Bangarra Dance Theatre are NAISDA graduates.

To ensure the continued delivery of this high quality training the Australian Government provided additional funding in 2009-10, spread over four years, to:

Cultural diplomacy

The department contributed to the Australian Government's cultural diplomacy strategy through its work with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and, in particular, through its involvement in the Australia International Cultural Council (AICC). The AICC is Australia's key cultural diplomacy body, comprising leaders from government, the arts and business, with a common interest in promoting Australia abroad through the arts and culture. The AICC met on 25 February 2010, with the meeting co-chaired by the Minister for Environment Protection, Heritage and the Arts, the Hon Peter Garrett AM MP and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Hon Stephen Smith MP. The meeting discussed:

The department continued to collaborate with DFAT on the development of the cultural program for Shanghai Expo 2010 and the focus country programs for China in 2010-11 and Korea in 2011.

Prime Minister's Literary Awards

The Prime Minister's Literary Awards celebrate the contribution of Australian literature to the nation's cultural and intellectual life. The awards recognise the importance of literature to our national identity, community and economy.

Now in their third year, the Prime Minister's Literary Awards were expanded to include awards for Children's Fiction and Young Adult Fiction in addition to the existing Fiction and Non-Fiction Awards. Each award is $100,000 tax-free; 332 entries were considered by the judges for the awards in 2010, including 71 fiction, 113 non-fiction, 45 young adult fiction, and 103 children's fiction entries.

In 2009 Nam Le's The Boat won the Fiction Award, while the Non-Fiction Award was shared by Marilyn Lake and Henry Reynolds' Drawing the Global Colour Line, and Evelyn Juers' House of Exile.

Research on the shortlisted and winning titles revealed that sales of the winning titles increased by 100 per cent following the announcement of the awards on 2 November 2009.

Educational Lending Right and Public Lending Right

The Educational Lending Right (ELR) and Public Lending Right (PLR) programs provided payments to eligible Australian creators (authors, editors, illustrators, translators and compilers) and publishers, whose books are held in educational and public lending libraries. Both programs supported the enrichment of Australian culture by encouraging the growth and development of Australian writing and publishing.

In 2009-10, 757 new claimants registered with the ELR program, of which 272 received a payment. For PLR, there were 756 new claimants registered, with 389 receiving a payment. In the ELR program, 41,700 books registered received a payment in 2009-10, while 23,397 books registered with the PLR program received a payment.

Table 5: Educational Lending Right payments
Year of payment New claimants receiving payments Creators Publishers Total payments ($m)
2007-08 372 10,275 383 $10.47
2008-09 320 10,385 394 $10.71
2009-10 272 10,492 384 $10.80
Table 6: Public Lending Right payments
Year of payment New claimants receiving payments Creators Publishers Total payments ($m)
2007-08 376 8,575 363 $7.65
2008-09 385 8,511 365 $8.16
2009-10 389 8,614 384 $8.32

Artbank

Artbank provides direct financial support to Australian artists, galleries and communities through its acquisition program. In 2009-10 the Artbank acquisition budget was $1 million. Support was also provided to the arts community in the form of collection and artist promotion, copyright payments, international and domestic exhibitions, as well as rental of works for display to Artbank's diverse clientele.

The collection is a national asset, accessible to state and regional galleries as well as Artbank's nearly 700 private, commercial and government clients. Artbank also loans works to 80 Australian embassies and high commissions around the world.

The expanding Artbank collection is valued at approximately $35 million. It comprises over 10,000 works in all media by nearly 3,000 artists, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, and from all states and territories.

Film and creative industries

The department administeres film tax offset programs that provide incentives for large budget film and television productions to locate in Australia and to encourage post, digital and visual effects (PDV) production in Australia. The department assisted in the preparation of legislative amendments to modify the eligibility criteria of the offsets programs, which were announced in the 2010-11 Budget. The amendments will remove barriers to offshore productions filming in Australia and making use of Australian PDV production services. The department also continued administering the phase-out of the 10BA film tax incentive scheme. The department administered the foreign actor certification scheme and the government's funding agreements with the Australian Children's Television Foundation and Ausfilm.

The department continued to liaise with and oversee the governance and financial reporting requirements of Screen Australia; the Australian Film, Television and Radio School; and the National Film and Sound Archive.

Australia commenced negotiations for film co-production agreements with India, Denmark and Malaysia and the renegotiation of the Australia-United Kingdom co-production agreement was ongoing. On 18 June 2010, the Australia-South Africa co-production agreement was signed in Pretoria.

The department also provided input from an arts and culture perspective on a range of international treaties and arrangements, including free trade agreements, which are currently being negotiated by the Australian Government.

Table 7: Film tax offsets
  2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10
10BA provisional applications 351 250 664 80 0 N/A
10BA final applications 69 67 62 90 58 14
10B applications 58 74 165 15 0 N/A
Tax offset provisional applications 1 1 0 0 1 0
Tax offset final applications 5 6 3 7 9 4
Estimated tax offset rebate payable to productions certified in financial year $31.1m $41.8m $13.4m $68.6m $67.8m $33.5m
Foreign actors certified 167 114 154 137 103 98

During 2009-10 the department worked with relevant Australian Government agencies to progress a Strategic Digital Industry Plan that will provide a vision for Australia's creative industries. Work on the plan will continue in 2010-11.

The Enterprise Connect Creative Industries Innovation Centre assisted Australian small to medium sized creative businesses to improve their operations, productivity and competitiveness. The department provided policy advice and support to joint ministerial arrangements for the centre through its role as an observer on the centre's Interim Advisory Board.

The department administered the Collections Australia Network (CAN) on behalf of the Cultural Ministers Council. CAN is an online resource providing access to Australia's collecting institutions and their collections.

National Portrait Gallery

During 2009-10, the National Portrait Gallery staged 11 exhibitions at the gallery in Canberra, including an exhibition in the virtual world of Second Life:

The National Portrait Gallery increased its outreach program of national exhibitions, touring four exhibitions to 18 venues across Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia:

Portrait School, a suite of 49 education programs designed for kindergarten to year 12 students and exhibition-focused programs for all levels including tertiary, was delivered to 13,452 students. One hundred and ninety schools participated in Headspace 2009, the National Portrait Gallery's secondary school student art exhibition.

Another 3,238 visitors participated in public programs comprising: Wednesday Gallery Talks; Portraits on Sunday lecture series; concerts; family programs; school holiday workshops; and, notably, Change Makers, a suite of lectures focusing on subjects in the collection who are, or were, committed to bringing about long-term social change in Australia.

For the second year, the gallery partnered with the Canberra International Music Festival to present a concert focusing on the life and work of Robert and Clara Schumann, in association with the National Portrait Gallery exhibition Husbands & Wives. National Portrait Gallery Chief Patron, Thérèse Rein, and National Portrait Gallery Director, Andrew Sayers, delivered readings from the Schumanns' personal diaries throughout the concert.

Heritage

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 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 (EPBC Act), which protects the heritage values of places in the following lists:

The department managed the processes set up by the EPBC Act, provided heritage listing advice to the government, advised property managers on heritage management plans and strategies, and supported the Australian Heritage Council in its assessment, advice, and public information and awareness activities.

The heritage provisions in the EPBC Act are currently under review, in response to the recommendations of Dr Allan Hawke in his review of the Act.

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. In 2009-10 Australia had 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. In August-September 2009, the sites were evaluated by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), as an expert advisory body to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre.

The department developed a World Heritage nomination for the Ningaloo Coast in Western Australia. Working with state officials, the department completed the nomination dossier and management framework and undertook extensive community consultation. In January 2010 the government lodged the nomination. It will be assessed by UNESCO for a decision in mid-2011.

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, an inventory of Australian properties considered suitable for inscription in the World Heritage List over the next 10 years. In May 2009 the Environment Protection and Heritage Council1 agreed that a revised Tentative List should be submitted to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Working with state and territory colleagues, the department submitted the Cooloola Extension of the existing Fraser Island World Heritage Area (tentatively titled the Great Sandy World Heritage Area) in December 2009, and the extension of the existing Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area in April 2010. Submission of the West MacDonnell Ranges tentative list proposal is planned for late 2010. Progress on the proposed tentative listing of Cape York is dependent upon the consent and participation of the local Indigenous people.

National and Commonwealth heritage listings

Under the EPBC Act, the minister is responsible for including places in the National and Commonwealth Heritage Lists. In 2009-10 the minister called for public nominations for both lists. Nominations for the National Heritage List gave priority to the heritage theme of 'Many pasts, one future: commemorating our migrant heritage.' In setting the Australian Heritage Council's assessment workplan for the National Heritage List the minister considered 58 nominations, 55 from members of the public, non-government organisations or other levels of government. Ten nominations were received for the Commonwealth Heritage List; the Australian Heritage Council nominated a further 64.

In 2009-10 the minister added seven places to the national list. Six were added through the standard listing provisions of the EPBC Act: Great Artesian Basin Springs: Witjira-Dalhousie; Great Artesian Basin Springs: Elizabeth; Porongurup National Park; Cheetup Rock Shelter; Ningaloo Coast; Cascades Female Factory Yard 4 North. One place, the Tarkine, was added under the emergency listing provisions of the EPBC Act.

In 2009-10 four places were added to the Commonwealth Heritage List: RAAF Williams Laverton; Victoria Barracks, Brisbane; ABC Radio Studios, Rockhampton; and the Canberra School of Art. Three places became ineligible for the Commonwealth list following their sale and were removed from the list. As of 30 June 2010, there were 89 national heritage places and 337 places in the Commonwealth list.

Emergency listings

The minister can 'emergency list' places that may have National or Commonwealth heritage values if those values are under likely and imminent threat. The Australian Heritage Council must assess emergency listed places, to allow the minister to decide on their future.

In 2009-10 the minister agreed to one request to list a place, the Tarkine, in the National Heritage List under the emergency provisions. There were no requests during 2009-10 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

In 2009 a revised Conservation Management Plan and a World Heritage Environs Area Strategy Plan were finalised for the World Heritage Listed Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens in Victoria.

National and Commonwealth heritage management

The EPBC Act provides for the preparation of a management plan for each place in the National and Commonwealth Heritage Lists. In 2009-10 the department commented on three management plans for National Heritage List places.

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 them, to protect and conserve those values. In 2009-10 one agency completed its strategy and 16 strategies are now complete. The department knows of another 15 agencies that have begun preparing a heritage strategy. Of these, six have been considered by the Australian Heritage Council.

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 those Commonwealth Heritage values (section 341Z).

The Australian World Heritage Advisory Committee

The Australian World Heritage Advisory Committee provides federal and state heritage ministers with advice on national and cross-cutting issues affecting Australia's World Heritage properties.

It also gives Australia's World Heritage property managers a forum to share information on place management and protection. Meeting in September 2009 adjacent to the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, the Committee identified three priority work areas: Indigenous Cultural Protocols; Threats to World Heritage properties, including climate change and invasive species; and Presentation, Communication and Tourism. It will report to the Environment Protection and Heritage Council on those issues in late 2010.

The Heritage Working Group

In November 2008 the minister established the Heritage Working Group to provide expert advice to help protect, conserve, and promote Australia's heritage. The group's members have a range of knowledge and experience in historic, natural and Indigenous heritage, tourism and economics.2

Kokoda Track

In 2009-10 the Australian and Papua New Guinea governments continued to implement the 2008 Joint Understanding on the Kokoda Track and Owen Stanley Ranges. In 2009-10 the Australian Government:

World Heritage Committee membership

In October 2007 Australia was elected to the World Heritage Committee 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.

At the 33rd Session of the World Heritage Committee in Seville, July 2009, Australia chaired a daily working group on the process to reflect on the Future of the World Heritage Convention. It chaired the plenary sessions when the Chair stood down to avoid a potential conflict of interest; played a lead role in the subsidiary body that considered the Budget; garnered support for a thematic study on marine World Heritage sites; and contributed on behalf of Pacific Island neighbours during the meeting.

Australia was elected Vice-President for the Asia-Pacific region for the third year, but stood down to promote rotation. 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 continued to work within the World Heritage Convention to identify, protect and conserve Australia's natural and cultural heritage. Over the last three years the department participated in international expert meetings on: the future of the World Heritage Convention; sustainable tourism; the finances of the World Heritage Centre; serial national and trans-national natural World Heritage sites; and the processes and practices prior to committee consideration of nominations for World Heritage Listing.

General Assembly of States Parties to the World Heritage Convention

The General Assembly is mandated to consider elections to the World Heritage Committee and financial contributions. As a result of Australia's proposal, the October 2009 meeting considered the future of the World Heritage Convention in the light of its forthcoming 40th anniversary (2012), and the anticipated inscription of the 1,000th property on the World Heritage List. The General Assembly was the first opportunity for all 186 States Parties to the convention to agree on the Futures process. Led by Australia, 42 States Parties co-sponsored the resolution, which sets a broad policy agenda, sets priorities, mandates work and calls for further discussion at its next meeting in 2011. The resolution mandated three workshops on the Futures process. Australia will lead two, the first on the working methods of the convention (scheduled for 2011); the second on the process and practices prior to committee consideration of a nomination (April 2010).

Upstream processes to World Heritage Nominations Workshop, Thailand, 26-29 April 2010

Australia was instrumental in gaining recognition of the challenges that exist in the processes for nominating a property to the World Heritage List. Participants developed concrete solutions to improve the system as a whole, including options to refine and augment the provision of advice and feedback to States Parties. Australia will present the workshop results to the Brasilia session of the World Heritage Committee scheduled for August 2010.

Pacific Islands World Heritage Workshop, Maupiti, 2-7 November 2009

Australia supported the workshop as part of its commitment to building World Heritage capacity in the Pacific region. The workshop agreed to a declaration on the cultural dimensions of the ocean, developed an action plan for Pacific World Heritage, and considered arrangements to support regional World Heritage related projects and training.

Advancing Sustainable Heritage Tourism at Cultural and Natural Heritage Sites: A Workshop, Mogao Caves World Heritage Site, China

Tourism poses a great economic opportunity for World Heritage, but also one of its biggest threats. The World Heritage Convention, however, offers limited guidance on managing tourism. Addressing the problem, Australia and China co-hosted an international workshop, Advancing Sustainable Tourism at Cultural and Natural Heritage Sites. The workshop was held from 26-29 September 2009 at the Mogao Caves World Heritage Site, Gansu Province, China. About 100 representatives from 21 countries attended, discussing issues including potential changes to the Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention, and the development of best practice policy guidance on sustainable tourism management. Workshop partners included the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Tourism Working Group, State Administration for Cultural Heritage (China), Dunhuang Academy (China) and the Getty Conservation Institute (USA). Australia and China will report to the World Heritage Committee in August 2010.

Support for World Heritage in the Asia-Pacific region

In 2009-10 a further $100,000 was added to the 3.3 million Australian Funds-in-Trust to support the participation of African countries in an expert meeting to develop strategies to address World Heritage conservation problems. Australia's sponsorship of this workshop will cement our reputation as a constructive and valuable member of the World Heritage community; strengthen the World Heritage system and our investment in it; and contribute to broader government objectives to increase engagement with Africa.

In 2008 the Australian Government contributed $1.13 million to assist the Cambodian Government to maintain the Angkor World Heritage Site. The assistance was to ensure that visitors to the site 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 expertise and governance arrangements in Cambodia. In 2009-10 a project plan was formally agreed by the Australian and Cambodian governments, and UNESCO.

In 2009-10 Australia continued to work with Pacific neighbours, developing small projects suitable for funding through the Australian Funds-in-Trust in the near future. World Heritage management projects were developed with Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu. A project on community consultation was developed with Tonga; and opportunities to support the development of nomination dossiers were explored with Fiji and Palau. We also offered support to Indonesia to assist with World Heritage management and nominations.

Funding was provided to the United Nations Institute for Training and Research to enable three people from Pacific Island countries to attend the annual workshop on Management and Conservation of World Heritage Sites in Hiroshima, Japan.

Funding was also made available to help Pacific Island representatives attend the 34th session of the World Heritage Committee in Brasilia, Brazil, from 25 July to 3 August 2010.

In 2009-10, the department was allocated $700,000 over three years through AusAID's Pacific Public Sector Linkages Program. This project Strengthening World Heritage and Protected Area Governance in the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea, builds on the 2008-09 $367,000 project to strengthen governance and management capacity at the East Rennell World Heritage Area, Solomon Islands. The new funding will help local, provincial and national governments in the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea implement the World Heritage Convention and improve World Heritage governance. The project involves public sector counterparts from the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea, as well as non-government organisations.

Publications

In collaboration with the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, DEWHA published The Implications of Climate Change for Australia's World Heritage Properties: A Preliminary Assessment in August 2009. Prepared by the Australian National University, the report assesses the likely impacts of climate change on Australia's World Heritage properties, identifies major gaps in knowledge, and recommends a range of responses. It is the first comprehensive report by any country into the impacts of climate change on all its World Heritage properties. The report provides an overview at the national and property level, helping site managers better understand how World Heritage values are vulnerable to climate change.

The Australian Heritage Council commissioned two historic thematic studies. Both were published in 2009-10:

Indigenous heritage

The department worked with other government agencies and the community to protect the cultural heritage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. The work included: providing advice on proposals referred under the EPBC Act; 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 areas and objects of traditional significance to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians 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 2009-10 the department supported the ministers responses to requests to protect 33 areas. Most of these requests were from a few individuals who sought to protect numerous areas in the Murray River and Swan River valleys. For 19 of the areas the cases had begun in previous years. Responses take time because the minister must afford procedural fairness to the parties before making decisions. Also, the minister sometimes receives more than one request to protect the same area. This occurred in two of the 19 cases carried over from previous years.

The department's support includes, where appropriate, attempting to resolve matters by facilitating discussions or supporting mediators who are appointed by the minister. This approach resolved six cases in 2009-10 but in one other case formal mediation was unsuccessful.

The minister cannot protect areas without sufficient evidence. This is how four cases concluded in 2009-10. In another case, at Alum Mountain near Bulahdelah, NSW, further applications were made after the minister had declined to protect the area. The Alum Mountain case and one other case at Ballina, NSW, were the subject of legal reviews under the Administrative Decisions (Judicial Review) Act 1977 during 2009-10. The Federal Court upheld the minister's decisions in both cases. In two other cases the minister declined emergency protection but is still considering the need for longer term protection. In another case the request was legally invalid. Currently the minister is considering requests to protect 20 areas.

In 2009-10 the minister also dealt with one report concerning Aboriginal remains, and is considering one request to protect objects, both requests were made in 2008-09.

The government proposed a set of reforms to the Act to improve Indigenous heritage protection laws nationally. The Act could be substantially amended or replaced. On 3 August 2009 the minister released a discussion paper containing the government's proposals. In response 76 submissions were received from diverse stakeholders including land councils, industry peak bodies and state governments. Overall the submissions acknowledge the need to reform the Act and support the intent of the proposals, while varying in their level of support for the details.

Indigenous Heritage Program

The department administered the government's Indigenous Heritage Program. The program helps to identify, conserve and promote, where appropriate, the Indigenous heritage values of places important to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The department also helped 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 141 applications seeking funding from the $3.645 million available in 2009-10. The minister approved funding for a diverse range of projects across Australia: four in New South Wales, nine in the Northern Territory, 10 in Queensland, six in South Australia, two in Tasmania, five in Victoria, and 14 in Western Australia. Examples of funded projects include:

Australia's maritime heritage

Historic shipwrecks

The Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976 and the Historic Shipwrecks Program enabled the department to work with state, territory and Norfolk Island government agencies to protect historic shipwrecks.

On 4 June 2009 the minister launched the Review of the Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976 and consideration of the requirements arising from the UNESCO 2001 Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage. Submissions to the review were open for six weeks, though late submissions from the community were accepted. All were posted on the review website.

In December 2009 the final report by Dr Alan Hawke of the Independent Review of the EPBC Act was released. Recommendation 64 of that report was that the EPBC Act be amended to incorporate the Historic Shipwrecks Act. This recommendation and the findings from the review of the Historic Shipwrecks Act are now under consideration.

On 5 November 2009 the Environment Protection and Heritage Council endorsed Australia pursuing ratification of the UNESCO 2001 Convention for the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage. At the same meeting the Historic Shipwreck Delegate's national research project - in situ preservation and reburial - was endorsed and included on the National Cooperative Heritage Agenda.

In late June 2009 the discoveries of two historic shipwrecks were reported: the Rachel Cohen in Darwin Harbour and the SS Glenelg in Victoria. The Rachel Cohen, a wooden schooner built in 1871 on the Manning River NSW, conducted numerous voyages between Tasmania and Macquarie Island servicing the sea elephant oil trade. In 1924 it burnt at its moorings in Darwin Harbour, where it was found by Tek Venture Diving Services. On 28 June 2009 the community group Southern Ocean Exploration found the SS Glenelg, an iron screw steamer of 210 tons. On 25 March 1900 the Glenelg left Bairnsdale for Melbourne with cargo and passengers. It hit rough seas near Lakes Entrance and quickly began taking on water. The crew and passengers attempted to abandon ship but the Glenelg went down too quickly. Of the 31 crew and passengers, only three survived.

In October 2009 the remains of the colonial torpedo boat HMQS Mosquito were re-discovered. The vessel was one of several purchased by the colonial governments of Australia and New Zealand in response to heightened tensions between Great Britain and Imperial Russia. HMQS Mosquito served in the naval defence of Queensland from 1884 to 1913.

On 20 December 2009 the Australian Hospital Ship (AHS) Centaur was discovered. The minister declared the shipwreck to be a historic site and placed a protected zone around it (at a depth of 2059 metres). On 14 May 1943, the Centaur, with 332 merchant marine crew and Army doctors and nursing staff on board, was on its first medical voyage to collect casualties from New Guinea. Just off the Queensland coast near Moreton Island, the Centaur was torpedoed. It sank within three minutes with a loss of 268 lives in one of Australia's greatest wartime disasters in the Pacific.

On 5 August 2009 the 12th meeting of the Agreement between Australia and the Netherlands concerning Old Dutch Shipwrecks (ANCODS) Committee was held in Western Australia. This meeting welcomed the Government of the Netherlands' intention to return the Dutch portion of the ANCODS collection to Australia.

Training of officers to be authorised historic shipwreck inspectors was undertaken in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. In conjunction with the environmental investigation unit of DEWHA, two investigations were undertaken into reported breaches of the Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976.

On 16 March 2008 HMAS Sydney II was found off the coast of Western Australia, the resting place of all its 645 crew. The loss of the HMAS Sydney II, following its battle with HSK Kormoran, was Australia's worst naval disaster and the vessel's discovery aroused great public interest. To commemorate the discovery of the Sydney and its inclusion as a protected Historic Shipwreck, the department sponsored a book on HMAS Sydney II. Edited by Michael McCarthy, the book tells the story of the Sydney's service activities, its loss, the search, and its eventual discovery and management. The book was launched on ANZAC Day 2010 by the Western Australian Museum.

In March 2010 the department provided an expert trainer to the UNESCO Second Foundation Course for the Underwater Cultural Heritage, held in Chanthaburi, Thailand. The course was developed to protect the underwater cultural heritage in Asia and the Pacific, by building regional capacities to protect and manage underwater archaeological sites. Participants from 10 different countries in the Asia region attended the training.

The Historic Shipwrecks program

The Historic Shipwrecks program funds the day-to-day administration by states and the territories of the Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976. This covers protection, conservation and preservation of historic shipwrecks and their associated relics, and the ongoing discovery, survey and documentation of historic shipwreck sites.

The department administers the program in collaboration with the states, the Northern Territory and Norfolk Island. In 2009-10, the minister approved funding of $439,928 to the program to support the work of state and territory based Historic Shipwreck Delegates and the Australasian Institute for Maritime Archaeology.

Heritage Projects (Jobs Fund)

In April 2009 the Australian Government announced the establishment of a $650 million Jobs Fund, to support local jobs, build skills and improve facilities in local communities. This included $60 million specifically allocated for community heritage projects.

Through a targeted selection process, 33 projects were funded in 2008-09 for a total of $12.7 million. In 2009-10, 569 applications were received through a public call. The Australian Government worked closely with heritage organisations such as the Australian Heritage Council, the Heritage Minister's Working Group, state and territory heritage agencies, and the National Trust to identify and assess the best possible projects. The minister subsequently approved $45.5 million in funding for 158 projects in 2009-10, including World Heritage, national heritage, National Trust, and large and small community heritage projects.

This funding provided an excellent opportunity to address some of Australia's critical heritage conservation needs, while also creating jobs and ongoing economic benefits for communities across Australia. The majority of the Jobs Fund heritage projects were successfully completed by the end of June 2010. The remainder of the projects will be finalised by early 2011.

Commemorating eminent Australians

In July 2009, the then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced the establishment of a program to provide funding of $100,000 for the conservation of graves of eminent Australians here and overseas.

Applications were sought through a public call, with the minister approving eight projects for a total of $98,540. Funded projects include memorials to Blessed Mary MacKillop, Governor Lachlan Macquarie, boxer Les Darcy, astronomer John Tebbutt, Prime Minister Ben Chifley, explorer John McDouall Stuart, and 25 prime ministers in the Corridor of Oaks.

Evaluation

Film

On 22 March 2010 the minister announced the 2010 Review of the Australian Independent Screen Production Sector. The Australian Government committed to this review in the arts policy paper New Directions for the Arts. The review is examining the ongoing viability of the independent production sector and considering how the sector is faring under the government's film support arrangements. The review is expected to be finalised in December 2010.

Indigenous broadcasting

In June 2010 reviews of Imparja Television and the National Indigenous Radio Service (NIRS) were finalised. Both reviews, costing a total of $144,993, reported on: the effectiveness of service delivery and value for money; operational capacity; financial management processes and financial viability; the appropriateness of the organisations' structures, resources and governance; and any current or emerging issues requiring attention. The department is working with both Imparja and NIRS, and will reflect the review findings in the 2010-11 program funding agreements.

For 2010-11 the government will undertake an independent review into its investment in the Indigenous broadcasting and media sector. The review is expected to be finalised in December 2010.

National Arts and Crafts Industry Support (NACIS)

The Office of Evaluation and Audit (OEA) finalised its report into the NACIS program in July 2009. The report related to the period prior to the 2007 Senate Inquiry into the Indigenous visual arts and crafts sector. The OEA report found that NACIS program administration was generally sound but could be improved. It made recommendations on articulation of the program objectives and the strategies expected to be implemented, measurement of program performance and support for capacity building in the sector, including retention and training of staff.

From 2007-08 increased funding to the program and implementation of triennial funding opportunities for recipients greatly expanded the program's capacity and substantially addressed the program reforms as recommended in the OEA evaluation. This was achieved through: increased funding for the sector, particularly around professional development and training; the introduction of triennial funding to improve business planning and capacity building; and cross-agency improvements to performance monitoring for Indigenous programs.

National Collections program

The department conducted a terminating program review of the National Collections program in August 2009. The review included a survey that sought feedback from 26 peak bodies in the collections sector about the effectiveness and relevance of activities and resources funded by the program, including the degree to which they had been utilised. The review findings supported the need to conduct an updated analysis of the collections sector's current and future key needs.

Return of Indigenous Cultural Property program

The department is undertaking a review of the Return of Indigenous Cultural Property program in consultation with participating museums and state and territory representatives. The review is examining the unique interests of repatriation and ways in which the program can further support the identification and return of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ancestral remains and secret sacred objects.

Indigenous heritage program

The Department of Finance and Deregulation's Office of Evaluation and Audit, conducted a performance audit of the Indigenous Heritage program in 2009, to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of the management of the program and to determine if it is meeting its objectives. The audit concluded that the Indigenous Heritage program is supported by well established and sound policies and procedures, is achieving its stated objectives, and is accruing broader social and economic benefits for Indigenous communities through its activities.

Kokoda initiative

In late 2009 a joint Papua New Guinea and Australian Government evaluation was conducted to review effectiveness in implementing the Joint Understanding on the Kokoda Track and Owen Stanley Ranges. The evaluation found that significant progress has been made in returning essential services to Kokoda Track communities and in reforming and restoring confidence in the Kokoda Track Authority. It also found that progress has been made in building a foundation for the more complex and long-term land management issues, such as protection and World Heritage. This was attributed, in great part, to the efforts of people working together from the highest levels of government through to communities, tourism operators and other stakeholders. The evaluation recommended that future work should focus on ensuring the long-term sustainability of the activities being undertaken.

Case study 1: Seizure of a New Zealand feeding funnel

Replica Maori Feeding Funnel, 1904 to 1910 by James Edward Little

Replica Maori Feeding Funnel, 1904 to 1910 by James Edward Little.

Photo: Dragi Markovic

On 17 June 2009 the New Zealand Government contacted the department requesting assistance from the Australian Government in the seizure and repatriation of a replica Maori Feeding Funnel by James Edward Little. The feeding funnel represents an important part of New Zealand's social history. It tells the significant story of James Edward Little, an individual who while not a New Zealander, had a very strong connection to New Zealand and in particular the reproduction of Maori cultural life.

The request triggered section 41 of Australia's cultural heritage legislation, the Protection of Movable Cultural Heritage Act 1986, which gives effect to the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property. Under the legislation the Australian Government is able to assist foreign governments to recover their objects of cultural heritage that have been illegally exported from their place of origin and subsequently imported into Australia.

The New Zealand Government provided expert opinions from curators at the Canterbury Museum and Auckland Museum who advised that the feeding funnel was a protected object under New Zealand's Protected Objects Act 1975.

The funnel was seized from a Melbourne auction house by a departmental officer and was forfeited to the Australian Government. On 12 October 2009, the minister signed the Instrument of Direction gifting the feeding funnel back to the New Zealand Government.

The department worked closely with the New Zealand High Commission and the New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage over the seizure and repatriation of the feeding funnel.

 

Case Study 2: Employment of Indigenous Australians at Keringke Arts

Clint Williams (left) with Men's leader Cedric Ross (right), full-time employee, working on bush toys

Clint Williams (left) with Men's leader Cedric Ross (right), full-time employee, working on bush toys.

Photo: Keringke Arts

Keringke Arts is an incorporated organisation owned and operated by Eastern Arrernte people at Ltyentye Apurte Community at Santa Teresa, 80 kilometres east of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory.

Support for the operating costs of Keringke Arts is provided through the department's National Arts and Crafts Industry Support (NACIS) program. As part of the government's commitment to close the gap in employment outcomes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, the department also provides funding to support the employment of 11 part-time and two full-time arts workers at Keringke.

Many of these employees have been engaged for over two years and during that time there has been a focus on providing training in skills relevant to running an art centre. Employees are receiving in-house and tertiary training in areas such as information technology, cataloguing, packing, event management, public speaking and office administration.

These jobs at Keringke have increased local commitment to the business. They have also allowed for inter-generational skills transmission, which supports keeping culture strong, and have given people stability through certainty of employment. It is offering career opportunities for school leavers by forming strong links with the school.

Arts workers at Keringke have opportunities to talk about their work to others through participation in events such as the Indigenous Participation in Australian Economies Conference held in Canberra in 2009 and the 5th Indigenous Education Conference held in Hobart in 2009.

 

Case study 3: Conservation of Brennan and Geraghty's Store and residences, Maryborough, Queensland

Recipient name: National Trust of Queensland
Significance of Site: The Store was constructed in 1871 by Irish immigrants and brothers-in-law Patrick Brennan and Martin Geraghty, adapting a cottage they had built in 1861. The 1880s saw the peak of Brennan and Geraghty's business empire in a boom period for Maryborough and Queensland. The store was operated for 100 years by descendants of the Geraghty family, closing in 1971. It was purchased by the National Trust in 1975 and opened to the public in 1990.

Brennan and Geraghty's Store is a rare and extremely significant example of a late 19th century store, which still contains an in situ collection of merchandise and records dating from the early 1900s.

Project description: Activities undertaken in this project included: replacing guttering; investigating the downpipe and stormwater system for blockages; replacing the rear stairs; rotted cladding on the outhouse, front fences and gates; replacing three panels of pine awning and refixing loose mouldings; repainting the awning, main building, outhouse and stables.

Funding amount: $250,000 (GST exclusive)
Benefits of project: The project employed local consultants, builders and trades people as heritage skills and materials were readily available locally. The project made a valuable contribution to sustaining heritage skills in a regional centre that prides itself on being a heritage tourism destination.

Upgrading the two cottages on either side of the store will help diversify and increase the income of the complex in the future, and will improve the protection and care of the store's valuable collection of artefacts and documents.

Jobs Fund (Heritage):Conservation of Brennan and Geraghty's Store and residences, Maryborough, Queensland.

Jobs Fund (Heritage): Conservation of Brennan and Geraghty's Store and residences, Maryborough, Queensland.

Results for deliverables and key performance indicators

Program 5.1: Arts and Cultural Development

Efficient and effective administration of programs that support cultural development generally and the Indigenous arts, culture, languages and broadcasting sectors in particular. The National Portrait Gallery's deliverables directly underpin its strategy to increase the understanding and appreciation of the Australian people by developing and providing access to the national portrait collection and by creating a safe and welcoming environment. Specific deliverables are listed below.

Deliverables 2009–10
Budget		 2009–10 Results
Administration of the Australian Government International Exhibitions Insurance (AGIEI) Program and the National Collecting Institutions Touring and Outreach (NCITO) Program to support the exhibition requirements of our National Collecting Institutions Yes Target reached:

AGIEI initial applications closed on 1 March 2010 and in-principle approval has been given to four applicants.

The NCITO program provided $1 million in funding to most of the National Collecting Institutions to tour their collections within Australia. Some exhibition projects funded by NCITO include: Robert Dowling: Tasmanian son of Empire (National Gallery of Australia), the Canning Stock Route (National Museum of Australia), The National Photographic Portrait Prize 2009-10 (National Portrait Gallery), Child Migration: Britain's child migrants (Australian National Maritime Museum), Touring the Sounds of Australia (National Film and Sound Archive).
Administration of the Protection of Movable Cultural Heritage Act 1986 to protect Australia's heritage of movable cultural objects Yes Applications for permits under the Protection of Movable Cultural Heritage Act 1986 have been processed in accordance with the requirements of the Act.
Develop and maintain the national portrait collection in accordance with the published collection development policy, international museum standards and legislative obligations Yes Yes, no reportable incidents with the collection and all acquisitions in line with endorsed collection policy, international standards and legislative obligations
From the National Portrait Gallery collection stage innovative and diverse exhibitions and collection displays, underpinned by a broad range of public educational programs and events Yes Yes, 11 temporary exhibitions (including 1 virtual exhibition) were presented along with the (changing) permanent collection and a diverse access and learning program
Implement a 40 year strategic asset management plan for the cost-effective and environmentally sustainable operations and maintenance of the National Portrait Gallery building Yes Yes, although some delays to the capital works program were experienced due to the gallery concluding the defects liability period for the building on 1 March 2010.

Performance of this program will generally be measured through Australians' access to artistic and cultural endeavours. The National Portrait Gallery's indicators centre on safety and accessibility of the national portrait collection and visitor experience. Specific indicators are listed below.

Key Performance Indicator 2009–10
Budget Target		 2009–10 Results
Access to high quality cultural experiences particularly in regional and remote areas maintained or increased. Yes Programs funded throughout Australia included:

72 Maintenance of Indigenous Languages and Records projects.

137 Indigenous Culture Support projects.

87 National Arts and Crafts Industry Support activities.

634 tours under the Playing Australia program.

30 tours under the Contemporary Music Touring Program.

24 high quality exhibitions of Australian cultural material under the Visions of Australia program.

59 new arts and/or cultural projects funded under the Festivals Australia program.

75 projects funded under the Community Heritage Grants program.

Funding towards touring costs under the Contemporary Touring Initiative.

The Regional Arts Fund enabled ongoing cultural development in regional and remote Australia.

The National Collecting Institutions Touring and Outreach program supported tours to 10 regional centres in NSW, Victoria, Queensland and Tasmania.

The Maritime Museums of Australia Project Support Scheme Funding ensured the preservation of, and public access to, significant maritime cultural heritage material.

Funding to assist in the development of the Zelman Cowen Gallery of Australian Jewish History at the Jewish Museum of Australia.

Funding to assist with bushfire recovery activities for the Marysville and District Historical Society's heritage collection.

Funding was provided for Museum Australia's Regional and Remote program for their 2010 conference.

The department has consistently met this performance measure over the past three years.
Number of visitors and length of stay on the CAN and Culture Portal websites is maintained or increased. Yes The Culture Portal maintained its audience reach of over 5 million visits with 5,084,164 visits by 1,562,278 visitors at an average stay of 2.91 pages.

CAN has maintained an audience reach of 198,874 visits by 156,462 visitors at an average length of stay of three minutes.
Access to Australian books in public and educational libraries is maintained or increased. Yes The numbers of claimants receiving payments under the Public Lending Right (PLR) and Educational Lending Right (ELR) schemes increased in 2009-10 indicating that works by Australian authors continue to be available in lending libraries.

The department has consistently met this performance measure over the past two years.
Increased sales of Prime Minister's Literary Award shortlisted or winning titles. Yes Following the announcement of the winners for 2009 on November 2009, Book Scan data revealed a 100 per cent increase in sales in November for all winning titles.

Book Scan data as at 31 October 2009 indicated that many of the shortlisted books also increased in sales. In particular, sales of Sofie Laguna's One Foot Wrong doubled following the shortlist announcement, as did sales of David Marr's The Henson Case.

The department has consistently met this performance measure over the past two years.
Applications (with all supporting documentation provided) for the Location and post-digital and visual (PDV) offsets are assessed within 15 weeks. Yes Applications were assessed within the timeframe.
Applications considered under the Protection of Movable Cultural Heritage Act 1986 (PMCH Act) are processed in accordance with the requirements of the Act.

Note: Performance indicator from the Portfolio Budget Statement 2009-10 reworded to more accurately reflect the requirements of the PMCH Act.		 Yes All applications under the PMCH Act were processed in accordance with the requirements of the Act.
Overall positive NPG visitor experience [%]. 90 95
Significant NPG temporary exhibitions staged [number]. 5 11
Preventable infrastructure or systems failures at the NPG [number]. 0 0

Program 5.2: Conservation and Protection of Australia's Heritage

Deliverables 2009–10 Results
Provision of grant funding to assist protection, conservation and promotion of Australia's unique heritage assets, while also providing immediate and ongoing employment and economic benefits 191 projects totalling $58 million were funded under the Heritage Projects (Jobs Fund) component of the economic stimulus package.
Additional places listed on the National and Commonwealth Heritage Lists under the EPBC Act, and effective heritage management arrangements put in place for places on the World, National and Commonwealth Heritage Lists 7 places added to the National Heritage List and 4 places to the Commonwealth Heritage List.
Provision of grants for the identification, conservation and promotion of the Indigenous heritage values of places important to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples Funding of $3.645 million was awarded for 57 projects for projects to identify, conserve and promote Indigenous heritage.
Assisting Australians to learn about, access and enjoy their heritage, including through raising the profile of heritage and awareness of National Heritage listed places Successful initiatives to increase public awareness and appreciation of Australia's heritage included partnerships with corporate organisations and cultural institutions, and production of 10 mini-documentaries on National Heritage List places filmed in partnership with Screen Australia for the third of ABC Television's successful National Treasures series.
Provision of funding to state and territory agencies to help protect and manage shipwrecks and their relics that are in waters covered by the Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976 Funding was provided to NSW, Vic, Qld, WA, SA, Tas, NT and Norfolk Island to implement the Historic Shipwrecks Program.
Provision of funds to the state and territory National Trusts and the Australian Council of National Trusts to enhance and promote the conservation of Australia's cultural heritage Funding was provided to the state and territory National Trusts and the Australian Council of National Trusts to enhance and promote the conservation of Australia's cultural heritage
Provision of assistance to Papua New Guinea to protect the historic values of the Kokoda Track, and improve the livelihood of local communities Kokoda Track management improved with a reformed Kokoda Track Authority, voluntary Code of Conduct and Tour Operator Licensing in place, and announcement of a $4.9 million Kokoda Track safety package.
Key initiatives submitted by Australia for adoption by the World Heritage Committee that increase the integrity of the World Heritage Convention Australia led the Futures process at World Heritage Committee Meeting 33 and the 17th General Assembly of States Parties, and co-hosted the workshop on the practices and processes required prior to committee consideration of a World Heritage nomination
Provision of assistance to Pacific Island countries with nominations for new places to the World Heritage List, and with protection of places already inscribed Australia provided support to 7 Pacific Island countries
Key Performance Indicator 2009–10 Results
Australia's heritage areas are identified and protected:

  • 1 additional World Heritage area submitted for listing
 1 nomination, for the Ningaloo Coast, submitted for the World Heritage List.
  • 10 new National Heritage places listed
 7 places added to the National Heritage List (6 standard listings and 1 emergency listing). In 2008-09, 3 places were listed.
  • 2 new Commonwealth Heritage places listed.
 4 Commonwealth Heritage places listed; 4 places removed. In 2008-09 there were no places listed.
$60 million worth of high quality heritage projects are undertaken with support from the Jobs Fund. 191 projects totalling $58 million were funded under the Heritage Projects (Jobs Fund) component of the economic stimulus package.
Funding is provided for 30 projects to identify, conserve and protect Australia's Indigenous Heritage. Funding of $3.645 million was awarded for 57 projects to identify, conserve and promote Indigenous heritage.

In 2008-09, 54 projects were funded.
100% of applications or referrals under Australian heritage laws are considered and processed within statutory requirements. 95% of EPBC Act requests responded to within 20 working days. In 2008-09, 98% was achieved.

100% of applications under the ATSIHP Act dealt with before threatening activity commenced. In 2008-09, 100% achieved.
Australia's historic shipwrecks are managed in accordance with funding agreements negotiated with states and territories. Funding agreements with NSW, Vic, Qld, WA, SA, Tas, NT and Norfolk Island to implement the Historic Shipwrecks program were all negotiated. The department has met this performance measure for the last two years.
Management of the Kokoda Track and surrounding area and livelihood of people along it, are improved. Kokoda Track Management improved with a reformed Kokoda Track Authority, voluntary Code of Conduct and Tour Operator Licensing in place, and announcement of a $4.9 million Kokoda Track safety package. The department has met this performance measure for the last two years.

Livelihoods of local people improved with: increased school enrolments; availability of health and education facilities and trained health workers; access to revenues from trek fees; implementation of pilot micro-business support projects; and establishment of the Kokoda Aid Alliance.
Australia makes an active contribution to improving World Heritage Committee policies and practices. Australia led the Futures process at World Heritage Committee Meeting 33 and the 17th General Assembly of States Parties
  • co-hosted the workshop on the practices and processes required prior to committee consideration of a World Heritage nomination.
3 countries in our region assisted to identify or protect their World Heritage. Target exceeded. On-going support provided to 7 Pacific Island countries. In 2008-09, 21 countries were assisted.

Resources

Refer to Appendix 2: Resources for Outcomes - Expenses and Resources for Outcome 5.

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 The printed version of this report erroneously included: "The membership of this committee is provided at Appendix B, Table 20 in the report on the operation of the EPBC Act."

Contents