Big Ideas

Did you know that preserving heritage buildings can help combat climate change? Some people erroneously view heritage as an impediment to action on climate change. In fact, climate scientists suggest that we should retrofit and adaptively re-use existing buildings rather than build new ones if we want to address climate change. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recently released a report that indicated we need to cut emissions in half […]  Read More »

Excerpt from ‘Heritage is about our future as much as the past’, by Stephanie Johnston, published in InDaily, Friday October 14, 2022: “South Australia’s heritage is not so much about the past as it is about the future. Made up of what we have inherited from the past, heritage highlights what we continue to value and appreciate in the present, and what we decide to protect and pass on to […]  Read More »

What if we were to tell you that preventing the demolition of beloved heritage buildings can help us in the urgent fight to lower our greenhouse gas emissions and environmental footprint? There is a growing body of research demonstrating what many of us have long suspected: demolishing historic buildings is not only terrible for our heritage, it is not good news for the environment, either. One US study showed that […]  Read More »

In October 2022, during the council elections, the National Trust of South Australia brought together strong local advocates to discuss how we make the protection of our natural and built heritage prominent issues in our local community, and in the minds of local government candidates. How do we ensure that the voices of local heritage protection are loud, clear, and impossible to ignore? How do we successfully lobby, and work […]  Read More »

In October 2021, renowned historian, Professor Norman Etherington, launched his ‘50-Year Plan For Adelaide’, a bold vision for the future of Adelaide, at the National Trust’s ‘Planning Beyond Tomorrow’ public forum. At a time of growing disillusionment with our planning system’s erosion of heritage protections and community rights, Professor Etherington’s report puts forward a number of ambitious but necessary proposals that prioritise the values of open, green space; the protection […]  Read More »

150 people from across the community joined the National Trust of South Australia’s ‘Heritage For The People’ State Election Forum, which happened online, on February 15, 2022. Candidates were quizzed about a range of topics relating to built and natural heritage, climate change, and planning policy. We were joined by Dr. Susan Close, Labor Deputy-Leader; Greens MLC, Robert Simms; SA Best MLC Frank Pangallo; and Independent MP for Waite, Sam […]  Read More »