A new independent champion for the historic sites in the Wakatipu is being set up for the benefit of the community.
The Wakatipu Heritage Trust is being touted as a not-for-profit charitable organisation with the objectives of identifying, promoting, organising and managing the conservation, restoration and development of the countless historic sites, structures and buildings in the basin.
The trusts intends to rank conservation projects in order of urgency and importance, as well as become a fundraiser and recipient of grants and donations.
It wants to collate information on heritage sites which have no statutory protection and raise public awareness of the Wakatipu's historical assets.
The interim chairman is Bill Dolan, of Arrowtown, also the incumbent Queenstown and District Historical Society chairman and former Paradise Trust chairman.
Denis Marshall, of Gibbston, minister of conservation between 1990 and 1995 and now co-owner of Hawkshead Vineyard, accepted the invitation to become patron.
Mr Dolan said before the trustees met on Wednesday for their second monthly meeting that the trust would be a forum and facilitator for partners including the Queenstown Lakes District Council, the Department of Conservation (Doc) Wakatipu area office and New Zealand Historic Places Trust.
"The first job is to identify the heritage sites then prioritise the inventory so key projects can be dealt with," he said.
"There are several projects deemed urgent - the Chinese village, Arrowtown Gaol and the Dynamo and Phoenix mine site.
"We intend to pick one site at a time, make a real success of it and move on to the next."
Potential improvements to sites would depend on what was required and include stabilisation of buildings or upgraded interpretation panels.
Trustees would keep a "watching brief" on the need for earthquake strengthening and would see how the Christchurch rebuild unfolded with its heritage sites.
Mr Dolan said the council had been "very supportive" and the trust would help the authority to vest its heritage strategy in the Wakatipu.
The council granted $5000 to cover the trust's start-up costs and offered in-kind assistance along with Doc while the trust established itself.
Trustee and the Lakes District Museum director David Clarke said there was identification of historic sites requiring work in the district plan, but it needed to be refined and added to.
The trust would be "proactive, rather than reactive", Mr Clarke said.
Mr Dolan said the Wakatipu Heritage Trust would approach community trusts for project funding with conservation reports and robust applications.
"The trust will pick up its advisory role on council and Doc heritage policies a bit down the track," he said.
