Hello Maree, Please forgive me for slightly changing subject line --- I know this annoys people who have certain sorts of emailing software, so I only rarely do it. -- but I think this could be very important .. if indeed part of a growing and widespread trend. Funny thing re your response ... I got exactly the same reply too! I'd written specifically about delisting or flagging/sceduling/tagging for delisting but the reply did not even make a single reference to 'delisting' or to other specifics I have asked about. I wrote back again pointing out that what I'd writting on (e.g. reported intention or consideration to delist items) had not been addressed (mentioned). It seems clear now why not .. because a standard reply is being sent to people. In the original alert which went out re this matter, which is long, you'll find mention that the intended for, or being considered for, post-1700 items for delisting can be seen online somewhere. But when I tried finding any list of them at the website indicated I could not. I then specifically asked Mr Duffy about this and he replied that this was because of technical problems they are currently experiencing. Other comment elsewhere on this matter which I am aware of has included comment from two archaeologists who have said this is symptomatic of a 'universal' or 'global' trend which one of them termed "RETREAT FROM HERITAGE". Perhaps that is not a bad overall name for it. More can be found by Googling .. for example in Fenlands UK a Council has just abolished requirement from development approval processes that sites likely to have heritage values should be given archaeological surveys prior to demolition/excavation/highrise whatever. The Councillor reporting this was rather proud of what they had done. But it is disastrous in my opinion, even if it does save developers money and therefore may stimulate building in that council area. In NSW there has apparently been instruction to 'review' already listed heritage items to determine if they are necessary. Already I know of one natural heritage item (geoheritage) at Lapstone which has been delisted. That was a site which was nominated by geologists and took many years to get listed on the online state inventory (via LEP gazettal). Then some years after then it was recommended for removal as unnecessary in a review of Blue Mountains natural heritage inventory. The person who did that review was not a geologist. The reasons given for why it was deemed unnecessary are just plain wrong (and I AM a geologist so trust me on that ....). So far the only other listed natural heritage item that I know of that is under consideration of delisting is in Parramatta LGA. Does anyone else know of items that are already listed but which are being considered now once again with the question of are they "necessary"? Gee, just how "necessary" is any heritage? The time for consideration of that should have been during the usually very long process of nomination through to listing. Why is it being all reconsidered now? In the Irish case it seems to be (but I do not yet know or understand full details) that some counties have listed post-1700 items and others have not, or at least are very little along the way to doing so. Therefore in the name of "consistency" they seem to be going to reduce to 'lowest common denominator' - be delisting those post-1700 sites already listed. Is that what others understand is going on, please? By the way .. I am part Irish, on father's side (mother's side is German). My Irish forebear of the same surname was sent here following quite a disturbance they had in Ireland back in 1798, That was when many who thought Ireland should be for the 'native' Irish (many 'United Irishmen' may thought this), reckoned the conquering English should go home. Fat chance of the latter, and the uprising was rapidly put down after a short war that was very brutal with atrocities committed on both sides. Now the failed Irish war of independence in 1798 is certainly post-1700 and if any of the monuments or heritage places/items of that war are proposed for delisting there will surely be unrest, as it is an almost sacred, and still highly emotional, part of Irish history to very many people. Best Regards, John ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ On Tue Sep 20 4:17 , 'Maree Larsen' sent: Regarding this below ... .>>Urgent. Responses needed by 20 September. The below has just come to my notice and is of interest to anyone with Irish ancestory. It means the heritage of modern Ireland will have no statutory protection and thus has the potential to be lost. A short email to the people listed below might help to protect the heritage of the Irish now spread all over the world, that their descendants travel to Ireland to explore. >>Regards Elizabeth Roberts We wrote to the person involved and this is his reply : To: Maree Larsen Subject: Fwd: URGENT Proposed delisting of Irish Heritage post 1700 ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Brian K Duffy - (DAHG) <[1][email protected]> Date: 19 September 2011 20:33 Subject: RE: URGENT Proposed delisting of Irish Heritage post 1700 The policy on the inclusion of post 1700 AD monuments in the Record of Monuments and Places is the subject of an ongoing review by the National Monuments Service. You may be aware that the inclusion of such monuments in the current RMP is not consistent across all counties and with a view to issuing a revised and updated RMP it is necessary to consider how best to ensure the protection of all elements of our archaeological heritage. Under the Regulations governing the issuing of the RMP it is not possible to add or remove monuments without reissuing the RMP for an entire county. Therefore there is no intention to alter the RMPs until such time as we are in a position to commence reissuing the RMPs county by county and this will not happen until we have completed our review and updating of the current RMPs and the formulation of the policy and criteria for inclusion of monuments. Brian K. Duffy Chief Archaeologist National Monuments Service Department of Arts, Heritage & the Gaeltacht Room G40 Custom House Dublin 1 Tel. 01 8882103 email [2][email protected] ---------------------- To send a message to the Port Jackson Convicts List, send an email to [3][email protected] ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [4][email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message ) References 1. javascript:top.opencompose('[email protected]','','','') 2. javascript:top.opencompose('[email protected]','','','') 3. javascript:top.opencompose('[email protected]','','','') 4. javascript:top.opencompose('[email protected]','','','')