Heritage and Grants

Our heritage is very important to the Forbes Shire. We would like to protect and celebrate our wonderful history.

The best way to conserve heritage items and places is to carry out regular maintenance and repairs. Some types of minor works may also improve the serviceability of the place without negative impacts on heritage significance.

These works may include re-painting a building in an original or appropriate colour scheme, replacing rusty gutters and downpipes to match original details or restoring a front verandah to its original detail.

To assist with the maintenance of older buildings within the Forbes Region, Council offers a small grants program in partnership with the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage. Further information on this grant program can be found below.

Council also offers a free Heritage Advisory service. This service enables owners to seek advice about their buildings from a qualified heritage architect on a number of matters. Further information on this program can be found below.

Rising damp and salt attack is a serious problem within the Forbes Region. The Heritage Council of NSW and the NSW Heritage office have produced two publications to assist property owners better understand this problem and identify methods to rectify the problem. Links to the document can be found here.

To discuss preserving heritage buildings in our Shire further contact our Heritage Advisory on 02 6850 2300.

Heritage Grants and Assistance

There are two forms of grants that exist in the Forbes Local Government Area for heritage, they are;

  1. The Forbes Shire Council Local Heritage Assistance Fund which has been established by Forbes Shire Council with assistance from the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage, and
  2. Forbes CBD Heritage Revival Program (this grant is aimed at verandahs, balconies, awnings repairs, general maintenance and signage within the Forbes CBD).

The purpose of this project is to assist and encourage positive work on places and buildings of heritage significance within Forbes Shire Local Government Area. The project funds conservation and maintenance works, Building Code of Australia upgrades (fire, services and access) for ongoing and new uses, and works on heritage items listed in Forbes Local Environmental Plan 2013. Owners and managers of heritage items are invited to apply. It is essential that you complete the application form and provide necessary information to be considered for either grant.

To apply, first read the terms and conditions listed below and then submit your application form. 

Local Heritage Assistance Fund Application Form

What's eligible ?

In order to qualify for funding, the building, site or moveable heritage must be within the Forbes Shire Council Local Government Area. Preference will be given to buildings or site identified within Schedule 5 of the Forbes Local Environmental Plan 2013. Projects that are eligible for funding will be heritage items or buildings within the heritage conservation area that involve the repair, maintenance or reinstatement of missing elements. These include fences, verandahs roof cladding and decorative details. Projects include structural work through to final painting. 

What's ineligible ?

The Forbes Shire Local Heritage Assistance Fund and the Forbes CBD Heritage Revival Program DO NOT COVER the following types of work:

  • Routine maintenance e.g lawn mowing,
  • Private headstones,
  • Where assistance is reasonably available from another source,
  • Where substantial assistance has been previously provided,
  • Where the applicant has failed to complete other assisted projects,
  • Purchase of a building,
  • Purchase of a site,
  • A new addition to a heritage building (including new internal fittings such as bathrooms and kitchens),
  • The relocation of a heritage building or work on a relocated building,
  • State Government owned buildings that are still in use by the government.

Funding availability

Minimum amount available = $500
Maximum amount available = $3000
The funding provided from either the Local Heritage Assistance Grant or the CBD Heritage Revival Grant cannot exceed 50% of the value of the project. Council could consider more if in order to undertake the conservation work is more costly that what is initially proposed and that the provision of additional funding may be made available provided that it is justified and does not prevent the Council from funding other projects. Funding generally made on a dollar for dollar basis and therefore applicants will be required to provide at least 50% or more of the project cost. 

Assessment criteria

The following matters will be taken into consideration by Forbes Shire Council in assessing the priority of your application:

  • The applicants ability to demonstrate technical and financial responsibility with regard to the project,
  • Can demonstrate that the project can be completed by April for returns in May,
  • The degree to which the applicant is contributing financially to the project, 
  • Projects that clearly complement broader conservation objectives. For example, projects which implement key findings of heritage studies or projects in identified heritage precincts,
  • Projects which would encourage the conservation of other heritage items,
  • Projects of demonstrated heritage value to the community,
  • Projects that are highly visible to the public,
  • Projects which have a high public accessibility,
  • Projects which are in an area which has received little or no funding,
  • Projects involving aspects of heritage which have received little or no funding,
  • Projects subject to conservation controls where the owner is able to show hardship arising from conservation work required to the item,
  • Urgent projects to avert a threat to a heritage item, and
  • Projects with sustainable long term heritage benefits that are for public benefit and enjoyment that show innovation and leadership, where the project partners have the capacity and commitment to undertake the project, and that demonstrate funding equity and cost effectiveness.

Agreed funding priorities

Priority will be given to projects that are:

  • For heritage item(s) in a well maintained heritage streetscape or landscape setting,
  • For heritage item(s) with public access and visibility,
  • For urgent maintenance works to avert management risks, e.g severe deterioration, demolition, or demolition by neglect, 
  • For items that are part of a heritage group, precinct or character area,
  • Fire, service and access upgrades for compliance with the Building Code of Australia,
  • For ongoing or adaptive reuse of heritage buildings, and
  • For items that have not received Council funding support in the last five years.

Other items outside of the above priorities may be considered where funding is available.

Timing of projects

Applications for projects will be open on the 1 June to the 1 December each year. All projects that have received funding are required to be completed by the 31 April each year. This is to allow time for projects to be completed in time for heritage returns to the Office of Environment and Heritage. 

Applying for funding

To apply for funding for a project from the council’s local heritage fund:

  1. Contact the Council’s town planner on 6850 2300 to discuss your proposed project and eligibility for the Local Heritage Assistance Grant or CBD Heritage Revival Program.
  2. Work out the details of the project and put down in a clear item by item job schedule.
  3. You will need to obtain one written quote for the work and put these costs alongside the schedule of work you have prepared.
  4. You will need to obtain or prepare plans for the project where alterations and additions are proposed.
  5. Take a before photograph of the setting of the building and each elevation where work is proposed to the building.
  6. Fill in the application form and attach the above documentation and submit to Council.
  7. The application will be assessed by the heritage advisor and a recommendation will be prepared and sent to Council.
  8. You will be notified in writing of the outcome.

Conditions applying to all projects

  1. Acceptance. You must accept this offer of assistance with six (6) weeks of the date of this offer otherwise it will be withdrawn.
  2. Permission to Commence Work. 
    You must provide the following information before permission to commence work will be granted:
    • A draft schedule of the work,
    • Who is carrying out the work,
    • A time schedule for the completion of the project, and 
    • Name of a suitably qualified person who will be responsible for supervising the proposed work.
  3. Funding from other sources. You must immediately advise the council of any changes to financial resources and arrangements connected with the project.
  4. Claims for payment should be supplied in letter and should set out clearly what work was carried out, by whom and how much you are claiming. Attach originals of any bills.
  5. Revocation
    You agree that his financial assistance may be reviewed or revoked at any time under any one or more of the following circumstances:
    (a) Unsatisfactory work;
    (b) Failure to meet time schedule constraints;
    (c) Failure to provide progress reports;
    (d) Non disclosure, misleading or false disclosure of information.
  6. Long Term Protection
    You agree to take all reasonable measures to protect in perpetuity the item for which this assistance is granted. You the applicant, and owner of the item assisted, agree not to object to the inclusion of the item during periodic reviews of Schedule 5 Environmental Heritage of
    the Forbes Local Environmental Plan. Should Council consider the item of significant value.
  7. Acknowledgement of Assistance. You agree to acknowledge this assistance in any form required and approved by the council. In most cases, Council will request the Forbes Advocate or Forbes Phoenix to do an editorial on the work undertaken with the support of the Local Heritage Fund.