News Alert |

  City of Ballarat’s nation-leading work in conserving and celebrating Ballarat’s significant heritage offering in the context of a growing 21st Century city has been recognised with an invitation to Councillor Samantha McIntosh, Mayor of Ballarat, to be a guest speaker at the Third Regional Conference of the Organisation of World Heritage Cities Asia-Pacific (OWHC-AP) in Suzhou, China. 

Following the consideration of this invitation and travel request, the Chief Executive Officer has approved international travel for Councillor Samantha McIntosh. This was following an informal briefing and feedback from Councillors yesterday in accordance with the City of Ballarat Councillor Expense and Entitlements Policy and procedures.  

The cost of the trip will be fully met by the conference organisers. 

The OWHC-AP invitation was extended personally to Cr McIntosh following her presentation at the World League of Historical Cities (LHC) Conference in Turkey last month, with organisers writing that a presentation by Cr McIntosh would be ‘a true inspiration to the heritage cities in our region’. 

OWHC-AP organisation is composed of cities with sites inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The conference will be held from 30 October to 1 November 2018, in Suzhou, China 

The Mayor will present a case study on Ballarat’s heritage experience, including tourism products and associated issues, with a focus on building tourism and economic opportunities through heritage. 

Ballarat became the first local government city in the world to be part of an international pilot program to implement UNESCO’s new approach to heritage management five years ago. This approach places an emphasis on aligning economic and social goals (the drivers of change) with conserving heritage so the two can complement each other.  

City of Ballarat’s ongoing and pro-active commitment to heritage and recommitment to heritage and recognition of the economic and social benefits it brings is documented in Council’s Heritage Plan ‘Our People Culture and Place: A Plan to Sustain Ballarat’s Heritage 2017-2030' and in the Council Plan 2017-2021. 

The proposed trip aligns with both plans and with Council’s aspiration to continue to implement and keep abreast of international ‘best practice’ approaches to heritage. It’s also aligns with the UNESCO HUL vision – shared by the City of Ballarat - of encouraging regional and international level cooperation and the exchange of information and expertise. 

Cr McIntosh will be joined at the conference by Council’s Coordinator Heritage and Cultural Landscapes; both are recognised authorities on UNESCO’s new approach to heritage management, the Historic Urban Landscape Approach (HUL).  

Cr McIntosh is also Chair of Central Highlands Council Victoria (CHCV); the trip will give her an important opportunity to put a strong case in support of the bid by Ballarat and 12 other local government areas to secure a UNESCO World Heritage Listing for the Goldfields Region. 

During the conference Cr McIntosh will continue to build relationships with UNESCO World Heritage cities and assessors who could prove invaluable to the outcome of the World Heritage Listing process.  

City of Ballarat Chief Executive Officer Justine Linley says the all-expenses paid invitation to Cr McIntosh to speak at OWHC-AP recognises her firsthand experience in the practical implementation of the HUL approach to heritage and the benefits it brings. 

Ms Linley says the trip is clearly in line with the City of Ballarat Council Plan 2017-2021 and with Ballarat’s responsibility as the capital of Western Victoria to advocate for initiatives that will bring significant benefits not only to Ballarat but also to the broader region. 

“There is no expense to Council involved in the Mayor taking this trip.  All Councillors have been briefed and had the opportunity to provide feedback.  Given the considerable benefits the trip will bring and the fact that it will be cost-neutral I have approved the trip as per Council guidelines”.