The document summarizes the key principles of the Burra Charter, which provides guidance for the conservation and management of culturally significant heritage places in Australia. It states that the Charter advocates a cautious approach to change, doing as little as possible while ensuring a place remains usable and its cultural significance is retained. It also outlines the conservation process defined by the Charter, which involves studies of a place's cultural significance and incorporating statements of significance and policy into a management plan with input from associated groups.

1. VDIS10006 Restoration Interiors 1
Lecture 9:
The Burra Charter & Conservation Management Plans
Ramona Solomon

2. The Burra Charter
(The Australia ICOMOS Charter for Places of Cultural Significance, 2013)
The
Burra
Charter
provides
guidance
for
the
conserva5on
and
management
of
places
of
cultural
significance
(cultural
heritage
places),
and
is
based
on
the
knowledge
and
experience
of
Australia
ICOMOS
members.
Conserva5on
is
an
integral
part
of
the
management
of
places
of
cultural
significance
and
is
an
ongoing
responsibility.
Who
is
the
Charter
for?
The
Charter
sets
a
standard
of
prac5ce
for
those
who
provide
advice,
make
decisions
about,
or
undertake
works
to
places
of
cultural
significance,
including
owners,
managers
and
custodians.
What
places
does
the
Charter
apply
to?
The
Charter
can
be
applied
to
all
types
of
places
of
cultural
significance
including
natural,
Indigenous
and
historic
places
with
cultural
values.

3. The Burra Charter
(The Australia ICOMOS Charter for Places of Cultural Significance, 2013)
Why
conserve?
Places
of
cultural
significance
enrich
people’s
lives,
oIen
providing
a
deep
and
inspira5onal
sense
of
connec5on
to
community
and
landscape,
to
the
past
and
to
lived
experiences.
They
are
historical
records,
that
are
important
expressions
of
Australian
iden5ty
and
experience.
Places
of
cultural
significance
reflect
the
diversity
of
our
communi5es,
telling
us
about
who
we
are
and
the
past
that
has
formed
us
and
the
Australian
landscape.
They
are
irreplaceable
and
precious.
These
places
of
cultural
significance
must
be
conserved
for
present
and
future
genera5ons
in
accordance
with
the
principle
of
inter-­‐genera5onal
equity.

4. The Burra Charter
(The Australia ICOMOS Charter for Places of Cultural Significance, 2013)
Why
conserve?
Places
of
cultural
significance
enrich
people’s
lives,
oIen
providing
a
deep
and
inspira5onal
sense
of
connec5on
to
community
and
landscape,
to
the
past
and
to
lived
experiences.
They
are
historical
records,
that
are
important
expressions
of
Australian
iden5ty
and
experience.
Places
of
cultural
significance
reflect
the
diversity
of
our
communi5es,
telling
us
about
who
we
are
and
the
past
that
has
formed
us
and
the
Australian
landscape.
They
are
irreplaceable
and
precious.
These
places
of
cultural
significance
must
be
conserved
for
present
and
future
genera5ons
in
accordance
with
the
principle
of
inter-­‐genera5onal
equity.
The
Burra
Charter
advocates
a
cau5ous
approach
to
change:
do
as
much
as
necessary
to
care
for
the
place
and
to
make
it
useable,
but
otherwise
change
it
as
liNle
as
possible
so
that
its
cultural
significance
is
retained.

5. The Burra Charter
(The Australia ICOMOS Charter for Places of Cultural Significance, 2013)
The
Conserva6on
Process
Conserva5on
may,
according
to
circumstance,
include
the
processes
of:
reten5on
or
reintroduc5on
of
a
use;
reten5on
of
associa5ons
and
meanings;
maintenance,
preserva5on,
restora5on,
reconstruc5on,
adapta5on
and
interpreta5on;
and
will
commonly
include
a
combina5on
of
more
than
one
of
these.
Conserva5on
may
also
include
reten5on
of
the
contribu5on
that
related
places
and
related
objects
make
to
the
cultural
significance
of
a
place.

6. The Burra Charter
(The Australia ICOMOS Charter for Places of Cultural Significance, 2013)
Applying
the
Burra
Charter
Process
Work
on
a
place
should
be
preceded
by
studies
to
understand
the
place
which
should
include
analysis
of
physical,
documentary,
oral
and
other
evidence,
drawing
on
appropriate
knowledge,
skills
and
disciplines.
WriNen
statements
of
cultural
significance
and
policy
for
the
place
should
be
prepared,
jus5fied
and
accompanied
by
suppor5ng
evidence.
The
statements
of
significance
and
policy
should
be
incorporated
into
a
management
plan
for
the
place.
Groups
and
individuals
with
associa5ons
with
the
place
as
well
as
those
involved
in
its
management
should
be
provided
with
opportuni5es
to
contribute
to
and
par5cipate
in
iden5fying
and
understanding
the
cultural
significance
of
the
place.
Where
appropriate
they
should
also
have
opportuni5es
to
par5cipate
in
its
conserva5on
and
management.
Statements
of
cultural
significance
and
policy
for
the
place
should
be
periodically
reviewed,
and
ac5ons
and
their
consequences
monitored
to
ensure
con5nuing
appropriateness
and
effec5veness.

7. The Burra Charter
(The Australia ICOMOS Charter for Places of Cultural Significance, 2013)
Applying
the
Burra
Charter
Process
Work
on
a
place
should
be
preceded
by
studies
to
understand
the
place
which
should
include
analysis
of
physical,
documentary,
oral
and
other
evidence,
drawing
on
appropriate
knowledge,
skills
and
disciplines.
WriNen
statements
of
cultural
significance
and
policy
for
the
place
should
be
prepared,
jus5fied
and
accompanied
by
suppor5ng
evidence.
The
statements
of
significance
and
policy
should
be
incorporated
into
a
management
plan
for
the
place.
Groups
and
individuals
with
associa5ons
with
the
place
as
well
as
those
involved
in
its
management
should
be
provided
with
opportuni5es
to
contribute
to
and
par5cipate
in
iden5fying
and
understanding
the
cultural
significance
of
the
place.
Where
appropriate
they
should
also
have
opportuni5es
to
par5cipate
in
its
conserva5on
and
management.
Statements
of
cultural
significance
and
policy
for
the
place
should
be
periodically
reviewed,
and
ac5ons
and
their
consequences
monitored
to
ensure
con5nuing
appropriateness
and
effec5veness.

9. CONSERVATION PLAN
A GUIDE TO THE PREPARATION OF CONSERVATION PLANS FOR PLACES OF EUROPEAN CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE

10. CONSERVATION PLAN
A GUIDE TO THE PREPARATION OF CONSERVATION PLANS FOR PLACES OF EUROPEAN CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE
An
important
tool
in
caring
for
a
heritage
item
can
be
a
conserva5on
management
plan
(CMP).
This
document
provides
a
guide
to
future
care
and
use,
including
any
new
development.
Dr
James
Kerr
describes
a
CMP
as
"...a
document
which
sets
out
what
is
significant
in
a
place
and,
consequently,
what
policies
are
appropriate
to
enable
that
significance
to
be
retained
in
its
future
use
and
development.
For
most
places
it
deals
with
the
management
of
change."
(Kerr,
The
Conserva5on
Plan,
Na5onal
Trust
NSW,
Sydney
2000:
1)
A
Conserva5on
Management
Plan
(CMP)
is
the
main
guiding
document
for
the
conserva5on
and
management
of
a
heritage
place.
A
CMP
iden5fies:
• the
heritage
values
or
significance
of
a
place
• the
conserva5on
policies
to
be
applied
to
protect
that
significance
in
the
face
of
change
• a
strategy
by
which
the
policies
will
be
put
into
ac5on

11. CONSERVATION PLAN
A GUIDE TO THE PREPARATION OF CONSERVATION PLANS FOR PLACES OF EUROPEAN CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE
When
is
it
useful
to
have
a
CMP?
A
CMP
may
be
useful
to
accompany
an
applica5on
for
approval
under
the
Heritage
Act.
The
CMP
should
provide
informa5on
to
help
assess
the
applica5on,
including
a
clear
statement
of
the
significance
of
the
item,
clear
iden5fica5on
of
the
constraints
and
opportuni5es
that
affect
the
item
(including
the
owner's
needs),
and
clear
policies
as
to
which
fabric,
or
elements,
of
the
item
need
to
be
conserved.
It
should
also
outline
what
can
be
changed,
if
and
where
any
new
development
occurs,
and
the
parameters
for
such
development
or
the
degree
of
change
that
is
permissible.
A
CMP
may
be
useful
to
support
an
applica5on
for
site-­‐specific
exemp5ons
from
Heritage
Act
approvals.
A
good
understanding
of
the
significance
of
the
elements
that
make
up
the
item
will
be
very
important
in
such
cases.
Site-­‐specific
exemp5ons
can
be
developed
in
addi5on
to
the
standard
exemp5ons
automa5cally
granted
to
all
heritage
items.
A
CMP
may
be
useful
as
a
framework
for
an
agreed-­‐upon
management
approach
to
a
heritage
item,
par5cularly
where
the
item
is
managed
by
several
different
managers
or
there
are
complex
rela5onships
between
elements
of
various
degrees
of
significance.

12. CONSERVATION PLAN
A GUIDE TO THE PREPARATION OF CONSERVATION PLANS FOR PLACES OF EUROPEAN CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE