Bathurst National Trust chairman wants to see heritage homes saved

As Australia's oldest inland settlement, Bathurst is home to many examples of early architectural design in the country.

The National Trust is passionate about retaining as much of this heritage as possible and chairman of the Bathurst branch, Wayne Feebrey, said one of the things the group wants to see avoided is demolition by neglect.

This occurs when buildings have deteriorated so much that they can't be restored.

"There has been, over the years, unfortunately, way too many examples of houses that could have been saved had someone done something early enough," Mr Feebrey said.

"There's one down the bottom of William Street just near the Girl Guides Hall, just round the corner. It's a mess now - vandals have broken in, it's been graffitied, it's just a mess - but had it been seen to 10 or 20 years ago, it could have been saved.

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"There's lots of examples of that unfortunately, where people think 'Oh, it's too much trouble, too much money, couldn't be bothered, let it go' because it's just too hard to save it."

While it's sad to think about how many houses have been lost unnecessarily, he thinks people's attitudes towards heritage homes are slowly changing.

"If you look along Rankin Street, for example, there are dozens of little heritage cottages that have been saved and restored, renovated and extended in the last five to 10 years, and a lot of them are quite old," he said.

"Some of them date back to the 1850s and 60s, that have had their roofs replaced, they've been gutted inside, but the facade's been saved, and they've had really nice extensions put out the back.

"... They're selling for upwards of $1 million, those little cottages now. People see the worth in keep the character of the cottage and they also see the worth financially."

In recent months, Bathurst Regional Council has copped some criticism over developments in the heritage conservation area.

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While he always wants to see heritage homes retained where possible, Mr Feebrey said council is limited in what it can do if a property owner submits a development application that complies with planning controls.

"Generally, the council do a good job with heritage. We've got some really wonderful people there in planning and in the heritage department there and people who care dearly about the town and our heritage," he said.

"It's very hard to criticise the council, because when it comes down to it, if the building is so far gone and it can't be saved, if the councillors vote against the recommendation to demolish the building, it's likely to end up in the Land and Environment Court, a prolonged and expensive exercise.

"Council, they can only play the game by the rules of the book, the Local Environment Plan and the Development Control Plan and heritage requirements."

He believes there is more power in educating people about the value of heritage to ensure they preserve it.

The Bathurst branch of the National Trust regularly hands out awards to property owners and builders who have renovated and restored heritage buildings, hoping it will encourage more people to do the same.

"Through our awards we try to educate people that way, and I know council staff in the planning department, if you go in there and ask their advice, they're only too happy to try to help you," Mr Feebrey said.

He wants to see reinstatement become more popular as a means to retain heritage.

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"This is the idea that if the building can't be saved, for whatever reason ... we're encouraging home owners, developers and builders to reinstate the original facades," he said.

He said Bathurst is "renowned for those older homes and character homes" from all different eras and it was important to protect them, as they all add to the fabric of the city.

"They all contribute to what makes Bathurst special, I think," he said.

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