Finalisation of the KAVHA Cultural Landscape Management Plan
As Chair of the Kingston and Arthur’s Vale Historic Area (KAVHA) Advisory Committee, I thank the Norfolk Island community for their input into the development of the KAVHA Cultural Landscape Management Plan (CLMP).
The draft CLMP was revised following community feedback and the Plan has now been finalised and publicly released.
The CLMP includes a large number of recommendations covering a wide range of landscape issues including water, livestock, traffic and vegetation management. It provides practical guidance on how trees and weeds are managed, the most effective options for improving site drainage and wastewater management, and the best ways for people, vehicles and livestock to move safely around the site.
The CLMP assists to implement some of the recommendations of the KAVHA Heritage Management Plan (2016). It outlines policies and recommendations to preserve the site’s heritage values and its place in the everyday lives of the community. The plan acknowledges the challenges in managing the KAVHA landscape to balance heritage, cultural, environmental, tourism, primary production, community infrastructure and recreational needs.
The recommendations will inform the long-term management of KAVHA. There will be a staged approach to implementation and in many cases, opportunities for further community involvement as specific projects are progressed in consultation with the KAVHA Community Advisory Group.
The final CLMP is available at www.kavha.gov.au/projects and at the Norfolk Island Research Centre at No.9 Quality Row. Along with the CLMP, a Consultation Outcomes Report provides responses to specific feedback received on the CLMP. The Consultation Outcomes Report and a short fact sheet on the CLMP are also available at www.kavha.gov.au/projects.
Have your say on the draft Archaeological Zoning and Management Plan for KAVHA
The Archaeological Zoning and Management Plan (AZMP) for the Kingston and Arthur’s Vale Historic Area (KAVHA) is designed to assist with appropriately managing the archaeology – traces of past human activity – from all phases of KAVHA’s history.
The AZMP has been developed to help those who work and live at KAVHA to plan and undertake projects that may require ground disturbance with greater confidence. Community members are invited to provide feedback on the draft AZMP, and I encourage you to have your say.
If you are a landowner, leaseholder, or employed to undertake work within KAVHA, the AZMP can help by taking you through what you can and cannot do in the World Heritage site when disturbing the ground. It contains an assessment of the significance of the archaeology at KAVHA; precinct-based maps that show the likelihood of archaeology being encountered in a given location; recommended strategies and guidelines to manage these resources appropriately; and templates to identify and record what is found on site.
The AZMP was developed by Extent Heritage and addresses several recommendations of the KAVHA Heritage Management Plan.
A copy of the draft AZMP and a fact sheet providing an overview of the document are available to view at www.kavha.gov.au/projects, and in hard copy at the Office of the Administrator and Customer Care.
Feedback can be emailed to kavhasecretariat@infrastructure.gov.au until 28 October 2019, or a hard copy submission can be provided to the Office of the Administrator. Feedback received during this period will help to inform the final AZMP.
Other news
The KAVHA Community Advisory Group met last week to discuss developments at the Kingston World Heritage Site. Members of the group heard about the delivery of a number of projects around the site scheduled for completion before summer holidays to improve the site’s amenities. These include the installation of five new picnic benches, four of which have been generously sponsored by our Norfolk Island Board Riders Association. Three will be located along the Slaughter Bay foreshore to provide a clear view across the reef to the surf break. One will be placed adjacent to the main entrance to the Emily Bay beach, and another will be located at the tip of Point Hunter near Lone Pine, as the area is re-grassed. In addition, low level timber vehicle barriers will be installed to enable the restoration of the beachfront at Slaughter Bay adjacent to the seawall and Blacksmiths compound. These works will see the creation of end-on parking adjacent to the road, and restoration back to grass of the existing parking area on the seawall. The area will be reinstated for pedestrian access, with the ruins of several foreshore houses lived in by Pitcairn Island settler families from 1856 also subject to restoration. If you have information on any of the families who lived in the beachside cottages here, we would like to hear from you to support improved site interpretation.
KAVHA maintenance staff are now putting their traditional materials and skills training from their time in Tasmania into practice using traditional lime mortars and lime washes. They are currently working on some of the few areas at Kingston that retain their original historic lime finishes including the reputedly haunted Government House cellar, before moving on to deal with salt damage and damp issues at the Settlement Guard House, Sirius museum and the Pier Flag Store as their next conservation priorities this year.
If you would like to find out more about the CLMP or the AZMP, or any other KAVHA matters, please contact Martin Purslow, Heritage Manager, on 23115 or at martin.purslow@infrastructure.gov.au.
Mr Eric Hutchinson
Chair, KAVHA Advisory Committee
October 2019