Architect appointed chair of ACT Heritage Council

ACT heritage minister Rebecca Vassarotti has appointed nine new members to the territory's Heritage Council, which was entirely dissolved in December 2022.

Heritage architect Duncan Marshall has been appointed chair of a new interim council while the government completes a "large-scale" review of Heritage Council.

The nine-member council also includes two others with expertise in architecture: Alanna King and David Hobbes.

Marshall was previously chair of the Heritage Council from 2012 to 2015. He is also vice-president of Australia ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites).

"Following a rigorous recruitment process I am excited to have appointed a diverse group of qualified and experienced Canberrans to form the new Heritage Council. This new council will deliver its functions under the Heritage Act 2004 with a focus on strengthening the ACT's heritage arrangements," the minister said.

In November 2022, a review of the Heritage Council conducted by Nous Group found "strained council relationships, together with inefficient Heritage Unit systems, present an imminent risk to ACT heritage sites."

Several council members resigned, and following the release of the findings, the minister sacked the remaining members.

The new council will continue for a minimum of one year while heritage arrangements in the ACT are reviewed.

"The ACT's rich and layered heritage is appreciated not just by the local community but by many around Australia," said the Heritage Council's new chairperson Duncan Marshall. "This heritage is entwined in the fabric of the everyday city and its landscapes which bring reflection, enjoyment and a deeper understanding. The new Council has a great deal of expertise and strong connections to the community, and it is determined to deliver an effective heritage system for the ACT, and to work with the ACT Government through the reform process."