Meeting Name	Heritage Advisory Committee Meeting
Date	8 February 2024	Time: 5:00pm
Venue	Level 12 Boardroom, 126 Church Street, Parramatta + MS Teams
Attendees	Committee Members • Stephanie Licciardo (Chair) • Graham Shirley (Deputy Chair) • Jeff Allen • Cheryl Bates • Laurie Bennett • Michele Grande • Scott Hill • Julie Jones • Wei Li • Suzette Meade • Terrence Smith Ex-Officio • Clr Phil Bradley • Clr Kellie Darley Council Staff • Roy Laria - Team Leader Land Use Planning • Andrea Giusa - Senior Heritage Specialist DTSU • Mark Leotta - Group Manager DTSU • David Birds – Group Manager Major Projects & Precincts Guests · Dr Mary Casey for Item 6 · Kylie Seretis for Item 6
Apologies / Leave of Absence	Tim Owen, Paul Kennedy (Convenor)
Secretariat	Governance
HPRM Reference	D09323513

No.	Item
1. Acknowledgement of Country	Cheryl Bates provided an Acknowledgement of Country to open the meeting. The City of Parramatta Council acknowledges the Burramattagal Clan of The Dharug, the traditional owners of land of Parramatta and pays its respects to the elders past, present and emerging.
Actions	1) Scott Hill will be providing the Acknowledgement of Country for the next meeting. 2) Any council staff attending the meeting that do not normally attend will need to be introduced to the Committee.
2 Apologies	Tim Owen was an apology for the meeting. It was also noted that the Convenor of the Committee, Paul Kennedy, was an apology for the meeting.
3 Disclosures of Interest	There were no Disclosures of Interest at the meeting.
4 Confirmation of Minutes – 7 November 2023	The minutes was moved by Laurie Bennett and seconded by Terry Smith. The Committee resolved to adopt the minutes of the 7 November 2023 Heritage Committee meeting, subject to adding the date of the meeting to the minutes.
5. Business arising from 7 November 2023 Minutes	1. Item 9 Heritage Plaques – staff have reached out to Interpretation Strategy Coordinator, there will be a report back to the 26 March 2024 Heritage Committee meeting. 2. Auditor General Report – it will be dealt with in Item 7 of this meeting.
Action	As requested by the Chair, Committee members are to keep comments at a high level during discussions at the meeting, so as to keep to the programmed timeframe for the meeting, and to email Committee members/Committee Convenor of any detailed questions that can be followed up at a later point.
6 Updating Heritage inventory sheet for Parramatta Town Hall	The Heritage Committee received and noted the slide presentation by Dr Mary Casey and Kylie Seretis.
Action	Laurie Bennett to send through his question to Council staff on the Baseline Archaeological Assessment regarding migrants. Staff are to send the question to Dr Mary and the answer to be circulated to Committee members out of session. Note. Clr Bradley noted the presentation may also be of interest to Council’s First Nations Advisory Committee.
7. Update from City Strategic Planning: • Heritage Communication Strategy • Draft NSW Heritage Strategy • Comprehensive Heritage Review • Planning Proposal 124 Wigram St, Harris Park	1. Heritage Communication Strategy Strategy endorsed by the Committee on 7 November 2023 subject to a number of conditions. Strategy being implemented and conditions pursued, as follows: · objective added to attract more visitors to visit heritage items in Parramatta. · Accepted that AtParramatta website will provide  primary landing page for heritage marketing. · Opportunities being explored to provide written material  at PHIVE promoting Parramatta heritage sites. · Revised link to be included on Council’s website to all heritage listed sites in Parramatta LEP 2023. · Letter to be sent to heritage property owners explaining changes to heritage fund and providing other general heritage information. 2. Draft NSW Heritage Strategy · NSW Government is developing a Draft NSW Heritage Strategy which will consider heritage regulation, conservation and celebration. · Comments on matters  to be considered in the strategy are to be made before 31 March 2024. · Staff are preparing a draft submission. Below are key points in their draft submission: o Legislative amendments to require minimum standards of maintenance. o Address issues raised in NSW Auditor General’s report. o Respond to State Government’s announcement of proposed changes for delivery of low and midrise housing and how these may adversely impact heritage conservation areas. o Guidance and strategic direction for planning with First Nations communities. o Ensuring adequate protection of locally listed heritage items when there is planning for State significant infrastructure (highlighted examples of Willow Grove and Royal Oak Hotel). o Strengthened support for current Heritage NSW functions that will also enhance Parramatta’s cultural heritage. 3. Comprehensive Heritage Review · In response to the Council resolution of 23 October 2023 to prepare a scope for a Comprehensive Heritage Review, staff have undertaken internal and external consultation, reviewed best practice guides nationally on how to undertake Comprehensive Heritage Reviews, and reviewed heritage reviews undertaken by other Councils. · Next steps: § Finalise the draft project delivery plan, undertake workshop with Councillors, consult with Heritage Committee (March), report to Council, and then commence review (subject to Council endorsement). 4. Site-specific Planning Proposal – 124 Wigram Street, Harris Park · Matter to be reported to LPP on 20 February 2024 recommending Council seek Gateway determination. · Revised Planning Proposal is supported by Statement of Heritage Impact prepared by Cracknell & Lonergan that it does not impact heritage items, does not compromise their heritage significance and this is supported by Council’s Senior Heritage Specialist. · Shadow modelling shows incremental increase in impacts on nearby HCAs can be supported without causing unreasonable overshadowing. · This is not a development application (DA) update, it is a planning proposal to change the height, and the site is eligible for a 15% design excellence bonus. It can establish  design excellence through the DA process. · Some Committee members raised concern with the proposal to vary the heights established under the recently completed Parramatta CBD Planning Proposal.
Questions on Notice	Laurie Bennett asked the following question in relation to the Draft Submission to Heritage NSW on the Draft NSW Heritage Strategy: • There are Federal listings and State significant listings, but the vast majority sit in local government listings for heritage sites. Why are they different or amalgamated into one big document? Scott Hill asked the following question in relation to the Comprehensive Heritage Review: • A lot of stakeholders have been consulted as a part of this Review, but was the Museums of History NSW (MHNSW) approached?
Actions	Heritage Communication Strategy: · Staff to contact Cheryl Bates to seek further information in relation to the status of 10,000 heritage flyers that are currently being prepared by the Parramatta Local Heritage Network. · Staff to send letters out to heritage property owners explaining changes to heritage fund and providing other general heritage information. Draft Submission on Draft NSW Heritage Strategy: The Council’s submission should seek to raise the following matters: • The need for the State to address the issues and recommendations raised in the report of NSW Auditor General. • Include some form of financial assistance to fund surveys to identify and list currently unlisted local and state heritage significant sites. • Heritage Act is silent on development in the vicinity of state listed heritage items (noting the LEP has a provision). The Act should address the assessment of impacts of development in the curtilage of a state listed heritage building. • Heritage Act has stronger powers on minimum maintenance standards – Local Government does not have that power to enforce minimum maintenance standards for local heritage items. • Submission needs to not only mention local, state, and nationally significant items, but also World Heritage listed items. • State Significant Development, and changes to planning controls (including rezonings) initiated and approved by the State Government, need to properly consider heritage impacts (mentioned Fleet Street Precinct at Parramatta North, and also Church Street North Precinct at North Parramatta). This also affects applications to have these areas World Heritage listed by UNESCO (mentioned Fleet Street Precinct at Parramatta North). • State should consider expansion of public open space when planning for the future of state and nationally significant heritage places (mentioned Fleet Street Precinct at Parramatta North and its relationship to potential expansion of Parramatta Park). • The Strategy should clarify the different levels of heritage significance (ie. local, state, National and World heritage listings). Comprehensive Heritage Review • Staff to consult with Museums of History NSW and  Greater Sydney Parklands in scoping up the Review. • Staff to consult further with the Committee on draft scope for the review at the next meeting in March. Site-specific Planning Proposal – 124 Wigram Street, Harris Park • Committee members are to email Paul Kennedy on questions they may have in relation to this item. General • Staff to put in an extra 5-10 minutes in the agenda (per item) to allow time for Committee member discussion on each of the items.
8 Local Heritage Fund applications: • 15 Arthur St, Granville • 87 Weston St, Harris Park • 10 Chester St, Epping	Staff have built a website on Council’s webpage for the local heritage fund. Each application will have a registration number and owners can apply online. There are mandatory requirements which must be met, this is outlined on the webpage. The following application was supported by the Committee for funding: · 10 Chester St, Epping The following addresses were not discussed at this meeting due to inadequate supporting information having been submitted at the time: • 15 Arthur St, Granville • 87 Weston St, Harris Park
Actions	• Funding to be provided to the grant application for 10 Chester Street, Epping. • Committee requested that the photos provided by applications include pictures of the item in full ‘setting’, and the individual material that they are applying for to repair or conserve. • Staff to provide the Committee with a breakdown of how the fund was spent and what is left in the fund (to date - as applicable in the 2023/24 financial year).
9 Update from Senior Heritage Specialist: • Parramatta Club (2 Macquarie St) Heritage Fence •St George’s Terrace (44 Phillip Street) • Mobile food trucks	Staff had reported to the Parramatta Club that one of the plinth stones was dislodged and the fence is not to be used to put banners for advertising.  Staff have visited Broughton House, it was clean but there were a lot of possum droppings. Heritage NSW may issue an order for cleaning as the minimum requirements for maintenance have not been followed.  Staff have not received any response from Heritage NSW and an update will be provided to the Committee when a response is received. St George’s Terrace agreed to investigate the details of the upper floor and reconstruct the openings of the upper terraces. They also agreed to put in polish concrete in the trace of former walls and chimney of fireplace. There will be more interpretation that was excluded from the first round. There is a lot of work to be done in the mobile food truck space. Mobile food trucks can operate without DA approval so long as they comply with the Exempt and Complying Development Codes SEPP requirements. Some have fallen foul of the required operating hours. They cannot operate as exempt development within State heritage sites, but they can for heritage conservation areas and locally listed sites. However, there are conditions on how they can operate as exempt development, as identified in the Exempt and Complying Development Codes SEPP. Note: Mark Leotta also addressed the Committee in regard to the update on mobile food trucks.
Questions on Notice	Laurie Bennett asked the following question on the food trucks: • How frequently does Council inspect food trucks for food safety?
Actions	St George’s Terrace: • Staff to ask the planner on whether documentation could be provided on state significant site – on interpretation that was excluded from the first round. Food Trucks: • Laurie Bennett to email staff on further questions he may have on food trucks.
10 Update of Heritage Interpretation along the Parramatta River Heritage Walk.	The Chair provided an update (in her capacity as ‘Senior Manager Heritage and Culture’ at Greater Sydney Parklands). There is a volunteer program that operates out of Centennial Park.  The person who runs that volunteer program has offered Phil Jenkins and his bushwalking group to start clearing the track on Parramatta Park Trust land. There will be other opportunities for Phil and his group, and anyone else, who would like to volunteer to help us clear some of those weeds and invasive species on the lower terrace north of Domain Creek. The Chair advised that they are looking at their site first, but  are having conversations with the Mental Health Unit to slightly extend past their site, even if they have to put up some temporary fencing, and then loop back up into the part next to the river that looks like it is part of the park, before you get to where those high risk patients are currently accommodated.
11 General Business	• Terry Hill raised his concerns about the Cumberland Hospital Heritage Precinct at Parramatta North. The Committee agreed that this issue should be the first item on the next agenda in March, where the Committee can discuss their concerns. The Chair and Scott Hill (Committee Member) will leave the meeting during discussion of this item as they may have a conflict of interest on the matter due to their employment in associated State Government agencies. • Interpretation of Williow Grove may come to the Committee in March (timing to be confirmed by the Powerhouse Team). Staff are still in discussions with the Powerhouse Team on heritage interpretation for the Powerhouse site. Staff to also confirm with the Committee on whether the matter is going to be only an update report back by the Powerhouse Team, or will the Powerhouse Team be undertaking proper consultation with the Committee and seeking their input on interpretation. • Free exhibition on the People’s House celebrating the Sydney Opera House ends on 3 March 2024 – Committee members are encouraged to attend.
Questions on Notice	Laurie Bennett asked the following questions in general business: • This is in relation Church Street North Precinct rezoning, can the Committee ask Council staff to investigate the planning strategy’s impact upon heritage generally, and particularly on the impact upon the Fleet Street Heritage Precinct area. • Could staff look into whether the property on 129 Silverwater Road Silverwater could be heritage listed? Suggested that the property could contain a building that is a WW2 or earlier Nissen Hut, which are rare. • Could the name of ‘Powerhouse’ be changed?
Actions	• Staff to look into the agenda, Committee may need an extra 15 minutes to raise additional items. • Committee members to also think about how to manage discussions and time during the meeting. There were suggestions that the meeting could run for 2.5 hours, as opposed to the current 2 hours timeslot, and/or meetings could be held more frequently than bi-monthly (to allow for more meeting times). These ideas would require further consideration and discussion by Committee members.
Meeting Closed	The meeting closed at 7.30pm