Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2024L00408:front:0:p424
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2024L00408
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 1348248–1351361

Deadline for responses: 5.00pm 29 April 2019.

Appendix C:  Community-Based Values Research Methods

Social significance

The National Heritage definition of social significance under criterion (g) is,

    'the place has outstanding heritage value to the nation because of the place's strong or special association with a particular community or social group for social, cultural or spiritual reasons.'

Social significance is a value held by today's community.  While historical research may be able to demonstrate considerable longevity and continuity of association, this is not enough to demonstrate social significance.  Rather, the associated communities or cultural groups must hold these values.  Therefore the task of social significance research is to understand the nature of the associations with a place and whether this gives rise to significance in the terms of the definition.  It also involves understanding whether significance resides in the fabric of the place or in other aspects such as its use, accessibility or aesthetic appreciation.

Establishing social significance

Methods for assessing social significance are not defined in the national guidelines (AHC 2009).  For this project, the methods used are those that have previously been applied to the assessment of National Heritage values by the consultants for this plan.

Defining a community or cultural group may involve:
      * historical research;
      * social or demographic profiling;
      * qualitative data collection and analysis;  and
      * consultation.

Establishing that an association exists may be undertaken in a number of ways including social research approaches (eg. surveys, observation) and anthropological techniques.

Establishing that the association is strong and/or special and is held collectively is likely to involve working directly with the particular communities or cultural groups.  The techniques used may include direct questioning and observation of behaviours.  By seeking a variety of evidence from different sources, it is more likely that the associations and their importance can be clearly established.

The approach adopted for the assessment of social significance involved considering:
      * Who are the communities or cultural groups with potential attachment to Anzac Parade for social, cultural or spiritual reasons?
      * What evidence is there of strong or special association or attachment, and by whom?
      * Considered nationally, are these values sufficient to demonstrate outstanding heritage value to the nation?

Evidence of social significance

To determine whether a place has outstanding value to the nation there needs to be:
      * evidence that the place satisfies the descriptive element of the criteria – that is 'strong or special association with a particular community or cultural group for social, cultural or spiritual reasons';  and
      * there is evidence that it is also of 'outstanding heritage value to the nation'.

Establishing that a value is 'outstanding' can be established in part by comparison with other broadly comparable places,