Help inform the ongoing heritage management of Kingston and the Arched Building at Longridge

The updated Heritage Management Plan (HMP) for Kingston is now open for public comment, and I invite community members to continue to help shape the governance of the site.

As a monument to our island’s convict, Polynesian, Pitcairn and Norfolk Islander history, every member of our community can contribute to informing the future of Kingston.

The HMP is a legislative document, helping ensure that the conservation, protection and presentation of the site’s heritage values are front and centre of future plans for the area. They are required to be regularly updated.

The primary role of the HMP is to set out the heritage values of Kingston and put in place the appropriate policies to conserve and manage them, so the values are protected for future generations and appreciation, as required under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) (EPBC Act).

The HMP directs other supporting plans to help manage the site, such as the Site Master Plan and Cultural Landscape Management Plan. These subordinate plans cannot go outside of what is permitted in the HMP. All plans for KAVHA guide the conservation and retention of Norfolk Island’s history for generations to come.

Following earlier community consultations, the KAVHA Advisory Committee reviewed and provided feedback on the HMP for Kingston, which is now going through its statutory approval process.

This includes the current public exhibition period before it is submitted to the federal Minister for the Environment for approval.

The HMP for the Arched Building at Longridge is also now open for public comment. While it is outside of the Kingston area, it is a significant historic site and listed on the Commonwealth Heritage Register.

This period of public exhibition means that we are now looking for the community to help us make sure that we are getting it right, and that we are making the decisions to safeguard Kingston and the Arched Building at Longridge into the future.

Both HMPs provide clear policy directions to guide the future conservation and management of heritage values, as well as listing timeframes, priorities and the parties responsible for implementation.