Heritage inventory project

Protecting the past for our future

What do you value as Nelson's heritage?

Looking after our heritage is one of the key areas Council is working on, as highlighted in the Nelson Community Plan. This has been the driving force behind the Heritage Inventory Project, which is now underway.

Nelson certainly has a rich heritage, both in terms of buildings, places and objects of importance.  It is vital that they are identified and assessed so they can be protected.

Nelson City Council lists protected heritage items within Appendix 1, 2 and 3 of the Nelson Resource Management Plan (NRMP). Within Appendix 1 (Heritage buildings, places and objects) there are listed 362 heritage items, which include 338 buildings with the remainder being places (e.g. Cemeteries) and objects (e.g. Rocks Road chain fence) of heritage significance.

The Heritage Inventory Project seeks to review the accuracy and completeness of the existing list within the NRMP and where appropriate to add to this list. View the NRMP.

Council is being assisted in the project by a Reference Group that includes representatives from local iwi, the Nelson Heritage Advisory Group, Historic Places Trust, the Museum and Nelson Historical Societies. 

We want to hear from you

As well as working with local historical and heritage groups and iwi Council wants to hear from anyone in the community about a place, object or building you think is of importance to our heritage and should be preserved. You can nominate any place, object or building for assessment in a variety of ways:

Tell us what you know

As well as nominating a heritage building or site Council would love to have any other information or family/historical stories you know about the place or object. Part of the aim of the project is to get as full a picture as possible about our special places and what significance they have for the community.

How the project will work

Council is appointing a consultant who will assess each nominated place, object, or building .  This will in the first place be done as a "paper" assessment and then site visits will be done as required so you may see someone in the neighbourhood with a camera and a clipboard. These assessments are undertaken according to technical criteria so be aware that the overall look of a nominated place, object or building isn't all that will affect whether or not it is recommended for protection.

The consultants will then prepare a short list of heritage items recommended for protection and Council will consult with the property owners or other stakeholders about the next step. Following the consultation a plan change will be prepared to add the appropriate new heritage items to the listings in the NRMP.  This would also be subject to public consultation.

The benefits

When you ask what is important to people in Nelson, a strong sense of identity for the town and its history is a message that comes through strongly.  This project seeks to identify and protect that heritage and build on that sense of identity.

There are also significant benefits to owners of heritage buildings. Council recognises that their preservation relies largely on the goodwill and enthusiasm of owners.  It tries to recognise and reward that by offering rates remissions on heritage properties.  There is also the Heritage Project Fund to help with the cost of restoration and upkeep projects.  Plus in many cases, there will be no charge for resource consents for restoration projects on heritage buildings listed in the NRMP.

Linked projects with different procedures

Sites of significance to local iwi

Two areas are being tackled separately, using slightly different processes. Sites of significance to local iwi are being identified by a consultant working directly with iwi. Anyone wishing to nominate a site of importance to iwi is invited to contact Planning Assistant on +64 3 546 0388 to ensure it is being identified as part of this discussion process.

Heritage trees

Heritage trees are another area being handled separately. Council has an ongoing process for the assessment and care of heritage trees, which has been in place for some years.

To find out more about this contact Horticulture Supervisor on +64 3 546 0376.

Stay updated

This is an exciting project that could potentially uncover some nuggets of local history so if you have a building or site to nominate or a story to tell please don't be afraid to share it.  Look out for updates on the process and any of the stories that come to light along the way in future editions of Live Nelson.