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Friday March 15, 2019

FEASIBILITY ANALYSIS ON STORING GREATER BENDIGO’S HISTORICAL ARTEFACTS TO BE CONSIDERED AT COUNCIL

Extending the Bendigo Regional Archives Centre in North Bendigo with a $3M storage and preservation facility for Greater Bendigo’s historical objects and artefacts will be considered at next week’s Council meeting.

A feasibility analysis was undertaken in response to the Strategic Artefacts Report (SAR) considered by Council in 2018 which stated that there was a critical need for one purpose built facility, constructed to national standards to store and preserve Greater Bendigo’s historical objects and artefacts.

The City of Greater Bendigo is finalising an audit of all heritage objects or artefacts within its care located across nine major City-owned or managed sites. So far the audit has identified 3,500 items. The SAR also stated that of the five Greater Bendigo community groups surveyed, these bodies cared for at least 45,000 local heritage items on behalf of the region’s community.

The report recommends building an extension to the Bendigo Regional Archives Centre (BRAC) in North Bendigo using passive house construction standards to provide a sustainable and low-energy facility. The total cost, including staffing to manage the site, would be just over $3M.

The report states that to meet the substantial costs of a state-of-the-art extension at BRAC, the City would need to seek co-partners and State funding based on a similar model achieved for the original BRAC building, which was opened in 2011.

The original building received funding through the State’s Regional Infrastructure Development Fund and was supported by the City, the Public Records Office of Victoria and the Goldfields Library Corporation.

City Director Strategy and Growth Bernie O’Sullivan said that it was clear that preserving and storing both our community and City-owned or managed items was an important issue that needed consideration.

“At the Council meeting, Councillors will discuss how best to manage and care for Greater Bendigo’s historical objects and artefacts now and in the future and whether the best option is to seek funding to extend the BRAC facility,” Mr O’Sullivan said.

The Council will also consider adopting the Greater Bendigo Heritage Collection Policy which would establish a balanced and consistent approach for the management and care of the Heritage Collection.

This is the first collection policy for the City and it is based on an industry template developed by Museums Australia Victoria. If adopted, the collection policy will also provide a framework for community groups in Greater Bendigo who may not have their own collection policy for artefacts and objects.