Where is intention to protect heritage?

"George Frost House is outstandingly important and indeed rare as an historical record of the shipbuilding industry.

"This is one of the most important stories of the history of Gosford and sets it apart as an area of historical interest.

"In terms of its historical and tourism potential it must be similar to Newcastle's convict coal and steel industry, but with perhaps more tourism potential than coal or steel will ever have."

This is the commissioned advice Gosford Council received from heritage consultant Elizabeth Evans and then chose to sweep aside by removing the Interim Heritage Order (IHO) they had placed on the Frost site.

This was done before they had undertaken a full and proper investigation of the site's importance, both as part of historic Kincumber Village and in terms of Brisbane Water's shipbuilding history.

Director Colleen Worthy-Jennings has assured the community (Daily Telegraph, April 4) that these necessary heritage studies will be completed by the end of the year.

Why then was Council so keen to prematurely remove that IHO they had put in place, allowing for destruction of the unresearched curtilage of the house?

They had been advised by Elizabeth Evans that destruction of the house's curtilage would detract from the heritage value of the adjacent St Paul's Church and graveyard, but they chose to ignore her warnings.

General Manager Peter Wilson advised councillors in open session on April 3 that removing the IHO "would not affect the property".

They removed the IHO, and the adverse result is clear for all to see, but it is now too late.

Councillors had earlier approved the Section 96 amendment to a DA given before the heritage status of the house had been formally recognised.

This deprived the house of full heritage protection.

The Section 96 application that had actually proposed to clad the historic fabric of the house with fibro-cement weatherboards and remove windows and doors!

Elizabeth Evans advised Gosford Council: "The local community have the knowledge of this history and the imagination to recognise the significance of this house."

Why could our elected councillors not do likewise?

And what of our remaining heritage?

For over a year now, Council has refused to replace its former heritage adviser, and it is now without the advice of the heritage committee it has disbanded.

It therefore now has no access internally to properly qualified advice.

Nor has it heeded qualified external advice on George Frost House, such as that from Elizabeth Evans, the NSW Heritage Office and the National Trust.

Before its disbandment in October 2006, Council's own community-based heritage committee complained that they were being deprived of access to significant information on the heritage of our area (such as Elizabeth Evans's reports) and the opportunity to advise councillors on heritage matters (September 2006 Committee minutes).

Council's 2006-7 Corporate Plan lists only one item of heritage action: Restoration of the cottages at Dark Corner, Patonga - yet the NSW Heritage Act makes Gosford Council responsible for the protection of all items of local and regional heritage significance.

Where is the planning intention to accomplish this responsibility?

Gosford Council has also twice recently proposed to demolish historic Fairview, the last house in the first settlement of Gosford, at Mangrove Creek.

Council acquired this house from Centrepoint Tower architect, Don Crone, who was preparing to retire there.

Gosford Council tenanted the house for about 30 years, let it deteriorate, and now proposes to demolish it even though WorkWise has offered to restore it as a community project.

As Andrew Woodhouse, Australian Heritage Institute, noted (SMH, April 21-22): "Heritage is what's left from our history that we can feel, see and touch; it's about items with relationships with our past we want to keep for our future."

Brisbane Water will celebrate the bicentenary of its settlement in 2023.

The bicentenary of the first settlement of Gosford at Mangrove Creek is virtually upon us.

One wonders what further plans Gosford Council has for these community milestones?

And what heritage will be left for our children's descendants in another 100 years?

Kay Williams Pearl Beach