Sydney Opera House conservation plan

–96–The process should be given certainty by the promulgation of clearand formal responsibility for heritage issues in each ‘portfolio’ withinthe Opera House structure. It will ensure that the need to considerheritage is recognised and that the office of the Director of Facilities isalerted to any proposal. The Facilities ‘portfolio’ is the natural co-ordinatorof heritage matters within the Opera House system, well able todecide on necessary follow-up action.Policy 55.1 All staff and consultants should have access to a copy ofthis conservation plan.Policy 55.2 A heritage component should be incorporated into theinduction and training of senior and medium level staff involved inany changes to the building and its setting. (Staff turnover will makecontinuity of training a necessity.)Policy 55.3 Responsibility for heritage matters should be included injob descriptions of relevant positions.Policy 55.4 The office of the Director of Facilities should be formallyresponsible for co-ordinating advice on heritage issues.Sequence and advice in developing proposalsThe process of developing plans without expert heritage input andthen subjecting them to an assessment of heritage impact is inefficientand likely to result in alteration and unnecessary delay. It also creates aclimate of confrontation rather than the facilitation of progressivelydeveloped solutions.Policy 56.1 Continuity of relevant and experienced heritage conservationadvice should be provided as part of the process by which changesto the Sydney Opera House and its setting are developed and executed.The timing of this advice is important. For major projects it should bedrawn upon:• initially, at the concept stage;• during the development and refinement, or alteration, of the proposal;• for a formal statement of heritage impact, or its equivalent, inresponse to the completed development application;• to keep a watchful eye on work actually underway.Accessing professional heritage advice should not be cumbersome butflexible enough to suit the nature of the proposal.Conservation CouncilIn 1996 the Sydney Opera House Trust arranged for a further level ofheritage conservation advice by the appointment of a ConservationCouncil. Its charter was to advise the Trust on ‘the discharge of theTrust’s responsibilities under the provisions of Section 4(1)(a) of theSydney Opera House Trust Act, with particular reference to the care,control and maintenance of the Opera House (Brief… for ConservationCouncil [March 1996]). Members were to include:• a member of the Sydney Opera House Trust;• the government architect or his nominee;• an eminent architect from private practice or academia;• an eminent engineer from private practice or academia;• a nominee from the Ministry for the Arts;