In a public presentation in Oamaru on Friday night, as part of the town’s Victorian Heritage Festival, Heritage NZ Otago-Southland area manager Sarah Gallagher said the announcement last week that Oamaru was bidding for National Historic Landmark status had been quietly under way for two years.
Currently, the only site in the country with that status is the Waitangi Treaty grounds.
Ms Gallagher said the critical engagement with a diverse group of building owners to gain their assent was well under way ‘‘and it’s going really, really well, positively’’.
More than 30 buildings were expected to be within the national landmark if approved.
The precinct across Thames St, Harbour St and the historic Oamaru Harbour area were either under current convenants, HNZ classifications or listed in the Waitaki District Plan.
But National Historic Landmark status would put the town on another plane — if eventually approved by the Minister of Culture and Heritage.
The status would be particularly important in the event of a natural disaster, Ms Gallagher said.
‘‘It’s more recognition — it’s the highest level of recognition our country can bestow.’’
At the same time the area of Oamaru to be considered did not need to be contiguous.
Given the large number of land and buildings under consideration, ‘‘a pragmatic approach’’ was being used.
This meant the largest group of building owners, primarily those under the Whitestone Civic Trust, was the first thrust.
Heritage NZ would need to produce a formal assessment report, canvassing owners around a risk management plan, and run a public submissions process before making a recommendation to the government.
Ms Gallagher said ‘‘social value’’ and with it public licence was central in attaining the status and she believed there was already ‘‘widespread public support’’ given what had already been achieved.
A recommendation to the minister was expected to be about two years away, she said.
