3.3 Historic and cultural heritage
Intermediate outcome 4: A representative range of historic and cultural heritage is conserved and interpreted
The aim is to conserve and interpret historic and cultural places managed by the Department that represent the different aspects of New Zealand's history and cultural character, so that they are available for people to learn from and enjoy. New Zealanders will actively contribute to the conservation and interpretation of both the stories (history) and the physical elements. Tangata whenua, as kaitiaki of their historic and cultural heritage, will actively participate in identifying, conserving and managing heritage of significance to them.
Conserving and interpreting a representative range of historic and cultural heritage places will benefit New Zealanders by contributing to their knowledge of this country's diverse past, and through this, increase their sense of place, pride, and national identity. The presence and use of historic and cultural heritage offers economic benefits through tourism, provides New Zealanders with opportunities to learn about and enjoy the nation's past, and provides Māori with opportunities to exercise kaitiakitanga and to maintain and revitalise cultural practices and identity. The links between these benefits and the three Government themes have been outlined above21.
As people visit these sites, and some become involved in managing and/or using them, they will develop greater understanding of, and support for, the conservation of New Zealand's historic and cultural heritage.
Working towards this intermediate outcome involves conserving both the stories (history) and the physical elements of human activity on public conservation lands and waters. Outside these areas, the Department has a role to advocate for historic conservation generally, and this also contributes to this intermediate outcome.
The Department has a particular responsibility to involve tangata whenua in identifying, preserving and managing sites significant to them. This can occur in a number of ways, including working with tangata whenua in the design and delivery of interpretation material, and involving tangata whenua in the management of sites. It will also engage with other cultural groups (including people of Dalmatian, Chinese and French descent) where their heritage is on public conservation lands and waters.
The Department will manage a representative range of places with historic and cultural values, with a focus on prime heritage sites that the Department has identified as 'icon' sites. These are sites that tell a strong 'Kiwi identity' story and wow visitors. The Department will continue to restore and interpret 12 of these 'icon' sites in the medium term, and increase this number (as resources allow) to include additional sites to illustrate a wider range of stories.
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In addition to the 'icon' sites, 644 historic sites will be actively managed. The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) is the international organisation that sets best practice standards for historic heritage management. A key International Council on Monuments and Sites management step is 'heritage assessments'. These assessments collect and safeguard the core history of a site, and evaluate its heritage significance. The Department's aim is to provide an International Council on Monuments and Sites 'heritage assessment' for each actively managed site by 2010. Remaining sites will be afforded basic protection from avoidable harm.
Public access to historic sites is being extended as part of the tenure review process in the South Island high country.
The Department will, wherever possible, complement the work of others. This includes continuing to work with the Ministry for Culture and Heritage on projects to ensure historic and cultural heritage is valued, respected and preserved (such as identifying sites of national significance and archaeological site protection), and working with local government and the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.
The Department will seek to raise the profile of heritage sites, so that New Zealanders are better connected with their historic heritage. This includes providing opportunities for volunteers, and using external sources of funding for specific sites to enable others to become involved in managing historic and cultural sites.
The Department undertakes historic and cultural heritage research to support its protection and interpretation work.
The outputs through which the Department works towards the achievement of this intermediate outcome are set out in Figure 1 in section 3.1.
The degree to which the Department's actions to conserve historic and cultural heritage are successful will be demonstrated through the following monitoring, which covers the 12, 000 known heritage sites on the lands and waters managed by the Department, a subset of which are actively managed sites (656).
Change in the percentage of historic sites in 'improving', 'stable' and 'degrading' categories
For the 656 actively managed sites, categories have been identified to allow tracking of the change in condition over time - these categories are 'improving', 'stable', and 'degrading'.
This indicator was reported for the first time in the Annual Report for the year ended 30 June 2007, and will be reported annually.
Change in the number of historic sites that meet ICOMOS standards
The minimum management standard set by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) is 'stabilisation', which means that natural processes of deterioration have been minimised. This standard, or better, is sought for the 656 heritage sites that are actively managed.
This indicator was reported for the first time in the Annual Report for the year ended 30 June 2007, and will be reported annually.
Change in number of sites for which key history has been safeguarded
As an indicator of this measure, the Department counts the number of 'heritage assessment' reports completed to standard for the 656 sites that are actively managed.
This indicator was reported for the first time in the Annual Report for the year ended 30 June 2007, and will be reported annually. The intention is to safeguard key history at all 656 sites by 2010.
20. The desired future state, and the work priorities and indicators of progress require reassessment for this intermediate outcome. The results of this reassessment will be reflected in the Statement of Intent 2009-2012.
21. See section 2.1.1.
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