FAQs

Heritage consists of the places and objects that we have inherited from the past and want to pass on to future generations. It defines us as a community: who we are and where we have come from. In other words it is "the things we want to keep".

The community has told Council that it is important Council has a balanced and systematic approach to managing historic heritage, ancestral lands, water, sites, wāhi tapu, and other taonga. The majority of heritage places are privately owned and the need to maintain, repair, adapt and develop historic heritage is constant. Owners of heritage buildings often face issues relating to commercial viability and earthquake safety.  Also, Council owns many heritage places which are substantial and significant public assets.

A Heritage Policy is an important way to help protect and manage historic heritage, ancestral lands, water, sites, wāhi tapu, and other taonga.

• It provides a structured process for thinking more broadly about heritage, to identify heritage aspirations and develop a vision, partnerships, and directions that stretch beyond statutory requirements
• Assists kaitiaki/owners of heritage places and the community to think about historic heritage, ancestral lands, water, sites, wāhi tapu, and other taonga and what it means to them, so Council and other players can be guided by them in decision-making
• Establish Council’s role in applying best practice procedures concerning the identification of historic heritage, ancestral lands, water, sites, wāhi tapu, and other taonga
• Enable a risk-management approach to ensure a range of regulatory and non-regulatory options are considered, including information, economic incentives, advice and rules
• Establish a monitoring programme to improve the state of historic heritage information to assist in understanding the current condition of heritage places and enable the community to consider how the District Plan could assist in achieving policy objectives and actions in a separate process.

All types of historic heritage, ancestral lands, water, sites, wāhi tapu, and other taonga in Te Awa Kairangi/Lower Hutt.

Mana whenua are working collaboratively with Council to guide, advise and direct the mana whenua section of Taonga Tuku Iho – the Heritage Policy.

Heritage has long been seen as historic buildings associated with early European settlement. This association is expressed in the many lists and schedules of heritage places in which historic buildings are dominant. Historic heritage needs to go beyond these types of buildings and seek to include and protect Māori heritage. 

Māori heritage covers the full range of values and types of places – buildings, sites and areas. For example, Māori heritage may include urupā, water springs, pa, gardens, battle grounds, marae, flag poles and pou, wetlands, churches, hunting sites, rivers and mountains.

Work began to review the policy in November 2018 which included a Heritage Survey and stakeholder engagement. View the survey results.

November – December 2020

The public can provide feedback through nine open days held at Hutt City Libraries from 21 November to 13 December 2020, and an online survey will run for a month from 17 November to 18 December 2020.

November 2020 – February 2021

Public feedback will be incorporated into the policy. We are also working with mana whenua on a section of the draft policy that will reflect both the history and heritage of mana whenua and the influence and importance of this on our present and future.  

A further draft of the Heritage Policy, which will incorporate the mana whenua section and feedback from the open day and online survey, will be published in February 2021. Further public feedback will be sought again in March 2021. 

A decision on the form of the final policy will be made by Council meeting following further engagement in March 2021. That decision will most likely be made in April 2021.