Mayor's Message 23 August, 2024
Hello everyone,
It’s been a week of celebration for our Shire following the announcement that the Beechworth Historic Precinct has been added to Australia’s National Heritage List.
This is such an incredible achievement and means that our historic precinct, which includes the Old Beechworth Gaol, is now an internationally recognised destination, sitting alongside the Great Barrier Reef and Uluru as being of significant heritage value to the nation.
Indigo Shire first lodged an application with the federal government in early 2020 for the Administration Precinct to be recognised and since then, an incredible amount of research has been undertaken and documented by our Heritage Advisor Deb Kemp and local historian Dr Jacqui Durrant. I want to thank them for their dedication, passion and meticulous detail in preparing our nomination.
In addition to the extra protection that national heritage listing will provide in terms of preservation, we envisage significant flow-on effects from increased visitor numbers to Beechworth, boosting our local economy. We’re also hoping the timing of this announcement will enhance our place in the Victorian Goldfields UNESCO World Heritage Listing bid.
As custodians of these buildings, we are very proud of our achievements in the preservation and conservation of our most significant heritage assets.
To further celebrate the announcement, an afternoon tea is being organised in the Police Paddocks tomorrow afternoon between 3pm and 5pm.
Organised by Beechworth History and Heritage Society, Old Beechworth Gaol and Beechworth Inc, this is an open invitation to all community members to come together to celebrate the achievement of national heritage listing.
Also this week, the NSW government released new concept designs for the new Albury Wodonga Regional Hospital project.
Until we get further advice from the local medical profession as to how this stacks up with the needs of the community for decades to come, our stated position in preference of a stand-alone single site hospital remains unchanged.
Cr Sophie Price.