Heritage protection
We have a rich heritage which needs consideration, respect and protection, especially when we learn more about our reconciliation with the local Ngunnawal community. To do this, we make sure all works comply with the Heritage Act 2004 (ACT). If we identify something of heritage significance, we take steps to reconsider, recover or preserve.
Please see below some of our heritage protection initiatives.
The Cotter River
The area occupied by our Cotter catchment was a traditional dwelling point for local peoples with thousands of years of Ngunnawal custodianship to agriculture and forestry and now a national park and nature reserve. We feel this rich history should be recorded for future generations.
When building, and enlarging, the Cotter Dam several salvage and archival programs were undertaken. This includes a collection of Aboriginal artefacts led by Ngunnawal representatives.
Roughly 4,000 artefacts were collected, including: stone cutting tools, axe heads and grinding stones. In August 2013, during a return to country ceremony, these artefacts were placed in a carefully selected site overlooking the dam.
Today, we celebrate the cultural heritage of the Cotter River through the Cotter Dam Discovery Trail. This 1.4 km trail showcases the area’s history, heritage and significance to the Canberra community.
Caption: Outlook on the Cotter Dam Discovery Trail overlooking construction of the enlarged Cotter Dam.
The Cotter Pumping Station Precinct
Our Cotter Pumping Station Precinct was listed in the ACT Heritage Register on 9 November 2000. This register lists the following items as intrinsic to the site’s significance:
- The pump house.
- The mechanical plant and its pumping equipment.
- The transformer house containing our salvaged hydro pump.
- The blockhouse ruin where our hydro pump was originally located.
We have a conservation management plan to protect this slice of Canberra’s history. All staff responsible for managing these assets have heritage awareness to protect this infrastructure as it continues to serve our region.
Pillar Hydrant Maintenance
Pillar hydrants in heritage-listed areas are typically protected street furniture forming part of the heritage aesthetic, including:
• Wakefield Gardens Housing Precinct (Ainslie)
• Corroborree Park Housing Precinct (Ainslie)
• Braddon Housing Precinct
• Reid Housing Precinct
• Barton
• Kingston
• Forrest
• Red Hill
Maintenance of pillar hydrants
For those members of the public wanting to care for the pillar hydrant on the verge at their property in heritage precincts, please find below information to make sure you care for these assets appropriately.
The original paint colours are Signal Red and Sign White, with operational components unpainted to allow function for firefighting response. A primer undercoat with rust treatment/prevention may be applied as a base layer.
