Heritage at Risk was initiated in 2007, this program developed from the national education program, Endangered Places which ran from 2000 to 2004. Endangered Places demonstrated the importance of raising awareness of heritage issues and the positive role this could play. We believe that some of the important heritage conservation decisions on many places listed as endangered would not have been possible without the continued community support and the action taken by the National Trust. Of the 154 Endangered Places listed between 1998 and 2004, 42 were destroyed or compromised, 72 were ‘saved,’ and 40 places remain threatened in some measure.

Five Endangered Places, Recherche Bay, HMVS Cerberus , the Quarantine Station at Manly, Point Nepean Defence Sites and the MCG have been listed on the National Heritage List, and several others nominated. A number of Endangered Places have also been listed or are under consideration for listing on the Commonwealth Heritage List. 118 places nominated were ‘built’ and 36 were ‘natural’ (landscapes, parks and gardens) and ranged from local places such as Sandon Point in Wollongong where the natural and indigenous values were threatened by development, to nationally significant sites facing threats from industrial development such as the Burrup Peninsula and Recherche Bay. Built places ranged from single buildings, multiple buildings, to townships, urban precincts and rural communities, and included residential, commercial and industrial heritage and ex-Defence and government facilities.

Three issues were identified as impacting most directly on the conservation of heritage values nationwide:

• Disposal of redundant government owned and/or managed properties

• Development pressures, especially in-fill planning in inner suburban areas

• Redundancy of rural heritage buildings

An emerging issue in recent years is the threat to significant landscapes, particularly coastal, threatened by inappropriate residential, industrial and tourism development. These issues are still of concern and are expected to feature in the nominations to the Our Heritage at Risk program.

By working together with our partners and the community the National Trust is hoping to alleviate some of these threats and work towards solutions to conserve heritage for future generations to enjoy.