Released 19/11/2022 - Joint media release
The ACT Government is seeking community feedback on a proposal to rebuild two heritage listed stockman huts in Namadgi National Park destroyed during the 2020 Orroral Valley bushfire.
To provide ongoing commemoration of both huts, the ACT Government is proposing to build a new hut structure near the Demandering Hut site and to partially rebuild Max and Bert Oldfield’s Hut near its old site. The ACT Government will also initiate a ‘Historic Huts Project’, which will conserve the memory of both structures with archival recordings.
Minister for Heritage Rebecca Vassarotti said the government wanted to acknowledge the importance of commemorating the huts values, including through the preservation of each hut’s remains.
“Both huts are important due to their aesthetic, historic, social and rarity values, which is why they are included on the ACT Heritage Register as part of a serial listing of Stockmen’s Huts in Namadgi National Park,” Minister Vassarotti said.
“As well as building two new hut structures, the ACT Government proposes to conserve and commemorate these sites by bringing together family and caretaker site knowledge with built heritage specialist and archaeological investigation, to build a single archival record that communicates the story of each original hut place.”
Minister for Planning and Land Management Mick Gentleman said the proposal is part of ongoing land management work in Namadgi National Park.
“The Orroral Valley bushfire burnt more than 80 per cent of Namadgi National Park, causing significant damage to natural, cultural and social assets,” Minister Gentleman said.
“While the proposed hut structures will respect the originals, we have an opportunity to subtly improve their location, design and construction to reduce fire risk and provide a basic level of emergency shelter for bushwalkers during inclement weather.”
Feedback on the Namadgi National Park Huts Project Proposal is being accepted until 13 February 2023 through the ACT Government YourSay Conversations website.
- Statement ends -
Mick Gentleman, MLA | Rebecca Vassarotti, MLA | Media Releases