The Heritage Advisory Service to shire councils has a primary goal. This is to assist a local council and its community in having appropriate measures and management in place, so as to best conserve and present the heritage of the shire. The Heritage Office in the NSW Dept of Planning provides funding to local communities for projects such as an Advisory Service, local grants for heritage work, and heritage studies. We provide a heritage advisory service across a wide geographic area, from Picton, on the edge of Sydney, to Griffith in western NSW. As far as local residents are concerned, this is free-of-charge professional advice. The advice can range from inspection of an old building; preparation of an application for a heritage grant; restoration of a verandah; or a colour scheme. To assist council staff, we can comment on development applications, prepare development control plans or provide professional designs for new developments. Between visits, the council takes appointment bookings for the advisory service. The adviser then makes a monthly visit, to try to assist as many local residents and council staff as possible.

Heritage Design Manual

This comprehensive, technical heritage design manual distils over a decade of experience in providing technical advice to owners, developers and local government.

The manual provides answers to the most frequently asked questions about heritage design, such as: What is a heritage colour scheme? What doors and windows should be used? How to add an extension to a heritage building? What to do about problems such as rising damp and cracking walls?

It is for students, owners, heritage consultants, developers and town planners in fact for anybody who wants to find out about heritage design.

Each chapter of the manual addresses a separate topic and gives practical solutions in an Australian context. As far a possible, it has been set out as concise notes, relying on illustrations to summarise the more complex aspects of heritage design.

The manual can be used by local government to set historically appropriate standards for the most common changes to the exterior of properties in conservation areas, heritage listed properties and potential heritage items.

Each chapter is designed to form a separate information package of advice. This can be emailed by heritage advisers or heritage planners to clients, as an attachment to a letter of advice.

To purchase the whole heritage design manual contact us by contacting us by email.