Melbourne’s heritage property owners and advocates for the public heritage, feel they are at the bottom of the heritage property and planning decision making hierarchy? Nothing less than billions of dollars of real estate and development opportunities and the future economy and liveability of the city and state, is at stake? How did it come to this? How does Melbourne value its heritage? Is this, how the current vested interests want it? Is there an alternative view about the importance of the future of heritage that should be heard? If so how does one construct a heritage champion? What action is needed to set a fair and just place at the heritage and planning decision making forums, for individual and community heritage advocates? Case study: Melbourne’s only world heritage site, the Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens and the Protection and Promotion Project.
