OUR HERITAGE AT RISK

In 2006 the National Trust launched a new Our Heritage At Risk program and called for nominations to the Our Heritage At Risk List in each State and Territory.

Annually on 1 July, the National Trust in each State and Territory announces its Our Heritage At Risk list. Nominations for 2009 will close on World Heritage Day 18 April 2009. The innaugural Our Heritage at Risk - National Top 10 , drawn from State and Territory Our Heritage At Risk nominations was first announced in November 2007.  This October will see the announcement of the 2009 List and the Heritage Report Card on sites highlighted in 2007 and 2008.

Our Heritage At Risk is a national program intended to raise awareness of heritage issues in Australia. It was set up with the assistance of other prominent heritage organisations in Australia and is managed by the National Trusts of Australia.

The program is a national initiative developed from the previous Endangered Places Program. In addition to being hierarchical, it differs from the previous program in that moveable heritage, objects and collections, as well as places can be nominated as at risk.  The program remains holistic and will include built, natural and indigenous cultural heritage places and objects.

Heritage places and objects can be nominated to the list through State and Territory National Trusts The normal time frame for nominations is from November to mid April. Nomination forms and criteria for nominations are available from the National Trusts. Eligibility to nominate may differ between States.    What's happening in your State/Territory?

Nominations must supply evidence of real risk and attest heritage significance according to defined criteria, and give as full details as possible. Images should accompany nominations wherever possible. Nominations will be accepted until 18 April.

Benefits of the new program include greater community awareness of heritage issues and engagement resulting in better heritage conservation and improved knowledge of government and non-government heritage organisations. The program aims to build and expand networks between heritage conservation organisations and thus a stronger heritage movement that can react to issues promptly as well as be pro-active.

Through this program, it is hoped to focus community and media interest on the kinds of threats facing heritage places, in order to achieve policy changes to address the issues raised by those threats, and to marshal community action and government attention to address the identified threats, so that more heritage can be saved for future generations.