Timber Slab Barns and Outbuildings Study
Hawkesbury Timber Slab Barns and Outbuildings Study
Hawkesbury City Council is pleased to advise the public exhibition of the Draft Hawkesbury Timber Slab Barns & Outbuildings Study between Tuesday 28 January 2025 and Sunday 9 March 2025.
Since the earliest years of colonisation, the Hawkesbury River (Dyarubbin), its tributaries, and their surrounding lands have played an important role in food supply for the developing Greater Sydney Region.
Commencing in 1794 with the granting of 18 land parcels, the Hawkesbury local government area (LGA) was one of the earliest agricultural localities in the new colony and the Hawkesbury River area eventually became known as the “food bowl” of Sydney. Agriculture continues to play an important role in the economic and social development of the area today.
With such a long and important history of European based farming practices in the area, surviving physical evidence (such as early barns) of the earliest phases of agricultural development in the area is highly prized by the local community (and others) for its historical significance, as well as its aesthetic significance as a contributor to the historical landscape character that defines much of the Hawkesbury region.
The Draft Hawkesbury Timber Slab Barns & Outbuildings Study identifies significant timber slab barns and outbuildings that are not currently listed on either the Hawkesbury Local Environmental Plan 2012 or State Heritage Register, dependent upon their level of significance, and provides updated inventory sheets for sites already heritage listed.
New South Wales has two main types of heritage listing known as ‘heritage items’ and ‘conservation areas’. Heritage listings flag that a place or object has heritage significance and gives owners improved access to heritage grants, free advice from Council’s Heritage Officer and often allows a wider range of uses than the current zoning would otherwise permit.
Further details are available from:
https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/resources/heritageoffice/HeritageListingExplained.pdf
The public exhibition of the draft Study provides an opportunity to make a submission on the proposals listed in the draft Study or recommend changes to be made to the document where you believe this is required.
A copy of the Draft Hawkesbury Timber Slab Barns & Outbuildings Update Study is available HERE or at Council’s Administration Office, 366 George Street Windsor between the hours of 9.00am and 4.00pm Monday to Friday (except for public holidays).
It is also timely to advise that as part of Council’s Local Heritage Assistance Fund grant program for 2025, a significant amount of funding will be available to owners of timber slab barns and timber slab outbuildings to carry out restoration works to assist in the preservation of the heritage item.
Applications and information regarding this grant funding will be available from Wednesday 29 January 2025.
