Harden Shire Council voted at its October Business meeting to approve the dispersion of $16,000.00 from the Harden Shire Council’s Local Heritage Fund 2015/16 to nine applicants, to help facilitate repair and restoration works on heritage items of local significance with a total cost of $79,236.80. Funds are allocated on the recommendations of Harden Shire Council’s Heritage Advisor.

Harden Shire Council sent letters to owners of private properties listed in the Harden Shire Local Environment Plan (LEP) heritage schedule, inviting them to apply for up to $4,000.00 in funding. The funding is available for heritage items of significance on private properties, and the owners are expected to at least match the Fund’s contribution. It is recommended that Council give: $2,000 for the restoration of sheds and stables at ‘Glen Ayr’; $2,500 to repair and paint the ‘Hillside’ homestead; $2,500 for the Old School House on the corner of Ward and Albury Street to improve site drainage and manage rising damp; $1,000 to paint the roof of a Pise Victorian Cottage in Albury Street; $1,000 to replace the side fence of a Pise Cottage Duplex in Albury Street; $3,000 for repair works to Roseville Stables in Kingsvale; $1,500 to repair a verandah at ‘Taunton’ in Iris Street; $1,000 to repair a verandah floor and install a handrail at the Uniting Church and Hall; and $1,500 to repair and paint the fence at Whichcraft & Coffee Cottage.

The $16,000 is comprised of $8,000 of Council funds, which is expected to be matched by an $8,000 contribution from the Heritage Branch of the Office of Environment & Heritage, to be paid by the end of the 2015/2016 Financial Year.