Jim Mason appointed head of heritage committee

BELLARINE councillor Jim Mason has been appointed chair of the Greater Geelong Heritage Advisory Committee.

The committee was established in September 2017 as part of the City of Greater Geelong’s Municipal Heritage Strategy, and at the time did not include councillor representation.

Since then, a new council has been elected and implemented portfolios – including an Arts, Culture and Heritage portfolio.

Reflecting this, council has endorsed an update to the committee’s Terms of Reference to appoint the chair of the Arts, Culture and Heritage portfolio as chair of the Heritage Advisory Committee.

Cr Mason will take up his new position at the committee’s next meeting on September 27.

“I’m pleased and honoured to be appointed chair of this committee, and I look forward to working with the other committee members to promote the many and varied facets of heritage, which includes the Indigenous, cultural, historical, and natural environment domains, as well as the built form,” Cr Mason said.

“The committee includes representatives from all of these areas, who each bring their considerable expertise.”

The committee’s role is to celebrate and promote Greater Geelong’s cultural heritage, and to provide advice to Council on work required to identify, protect and conserve heritage places.

It includes representatives from the National Trust Geelong, several local historical societies, Wathaurung Aboriginal Corporation, Geelong One Fire Reconciliation Group, the Geelong Environment Council and the Royal Geelong Agricultural and Pastoral Society.