Blue Mountains News

For the year 2024-2025, Council distributed funds totalling $15,000 to seven property owners for minor conservation works. The funding was open to individually listed heritage items and those buildings that positively contribute to a heritage conservation area’s overall character. It was also open to owners of publicly accessible buildings to provide long-term care for their heritage properties.

Thanks to further funding from the NSW Government and Blue Mountains City Council, the LHAF can continue for another two years, with the next round of applications for 2025-2026 opening 30 July and closing 1 September 2025.

Blue Mountains Mayor Mark Greenhill said: “Council’s Local Heritage Assistance Fund helps to preserve the rich character of our towns, with this year’s fund supporting some valuable restorations of a variety of buildings.

“This sympathetic protection of our heritage results in long-term benefits, not only to property owners, but to our visitors and other residents, who indirectly benefit from the overall visual enhancement of our street fronts.

“And applicants often feedback that they could not have financed these improvements without assistance from these funds.”

Projects included the repainting of a prominent heritage building in Katoomba, the restoration of a shopfront in Katoomba Street, repair of verandas on two private heritage buildings in Katoomba, and the replacement of a shop awning in Mount Victoria.

Another notable project was the conservation works on the historically significant 1886 gabled cottage, Tarella, in Wentworth Falls, now a major cultural resource used as a museum and home to the Blue Mountains Historical Society (BMHS).

BMHS is a volunteer-funded organisation not able to pay for the essential heritage works on Tarella’s bullnose verandah and roof. Current BMHS president Phil Hammon said: “This funding enabled the ongoing restoration of Tarella, providing confidence for the community that BMHS is a trusted guardian of its heritage.”

The new round of grants for 2025-2026 has a total of $20,000, with individual grants up to $3,000 each. Funding will be directed towards heritage buildings that are either listed as local heritage items or are contributory buildings located within heritage conservation areas in the Blue Mountains Local Environmental Plan.

Priority will be given to minor conservation works on buildings that are located within the main streets of town and village centres and will provide a public benefit to the community, such as improvements to enhance the building’s façade or exterior.

Consideration will also again be given to the preparation of strategic heritage documents, such as conservation management strategies or heritage interpretation plans, for important heritage buildings under threat or in exceptional circumstances.

Applications open from Wednesday 30 July and close Monday 1 September 2025, 5pm. Apply now or visit: herehttps://www.bmcc.nsw.gov.au/LHAF