The Heritage Council Victoria marks 50 years of the Victorian Heritage Register 1974-2024.
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… Research looking beyond the economic value of heritage is now increasing…
Heritage Council Victoria writes:
The heritage industry has researched the value of cultural heritage for decades. Value is currently considered under three broad categories:
- the economic value of heritage
- the social value of heritage
- the environmental value of heritage.
Research into the economic and social value has a long history. Australia’s first conference on heritage economics was held in 2000. Important research followed, including:
- ‘Valuing the priceless: the value of historic heritage in Australia’ (2005), and
- ‘The value of heritage: summary report’ (2017) published by the Victorian Government.
These two reports are important milestones in Australian heritage valuation literature. They both use choice modelling to elicit the community’s ‘willingness to pay’ for heritage.
Research looking beyond the economic value of heritage is now increasing. Studies into the wellbeing benefits of engaging with heritage is an emerging field. The environmental benefits of conserving heritage is also a newer field of study.
In 2023 the Heritage Council engaged Extent Heritage and Kate Clark to synthesise information on the value of heritage. The report synthesises research on the economic, social and environmental value of heritage. It uses information from both overseas and in Australia. The result is a large document with over 200 cited sources in relation to the value of heritage….
PART 1 – WHY HERITAGE: A SYNTHESIS OF EVIDENCE FOR THE SOCIAL, ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF HERITAGE (2023)
Chapters 1 – 2 (corrected version 24 April 2024)
This report collates existing research on the social, economic and environmental value of heritage from Australia and internationally. Please note information on pages 17 and 22 was corrected on 24 April 2024.
PART 2 – WHY HERITAGE: A SYNTHESIS OF EVIDENCE FOR THE SOCIAL, ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF HERITAGE (2023)
Chapters 3 – 5
PART 3 – WHY HERITAGE: A SYNTHESIS OF EVIDENCE FOR THE SOCIAL, ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF HERITAGE (2023)
