Heritage Services
SPAR offers a wide range of services relating to the identification, management and interpretation of heritage resources. We are conversant with current heritage legislation and are able to provide expert evidence on planning issues relating to archaeology or other heritage matters.
Our services range from small-scale interpretation projects, to the design and implementation of major regional inventory and management systems. In such projects we work closely with other professionals, agencies and iwi to achieve quality heritage outcomes.
Heritage assessments are used to document and develop an understanding of the heritage values of a place. They provide the basis for future management directions and are often the first step in a long-term management strategy. Heritage assessments require a broad range of skills in evaluating a wide range of historical and physical evidence. SPAR staff have undertaken heritage assessment in many parts of New Zealand as well as at Scott’s Cape Evans base in Antarctica.
Heritage inventories capture information on all items of heritage value in a particular area of land. These can include archaeological sites, buildings, artefacts, shipwrecks, jetties, fences and so on. SPAR is a specialist in heritage inventories and has produced them for central and local government agencies, corporations and iwi in many parts of New Zealand.
Conservation plans are used to document the significant historical fabric and features of a historic place and to provide policies for their long-term care and management. They are often required by statutory agencies to ensure that heritage significance is retained when proposed to adaptively re-use a historic place are made. SPAR and its associates have very extensive experience in the preparation of conservation plans that provide sensible policies backed up by comprehensive historical research.
SPAR provides expert advice to corporations and government agencies to assist in the development of policy and of strategic planning documents.
SPAR has a wide range of experience providing and presenting expert evidence at planning and Environment Court hearings. Our combined experience in all types of archaeological work and heritage administration allow us to provide unbiased, respectable opinions based on sound empirical evidence.
SPAR can provide specialist advice and services in a range of museum fields including curation, display, storage, collection management and administration. We have particular expertise in aspects of museum work that involve ethnographic or archaeological material from New Zealand and the Pacific. Our work in this area extends to outdoor museums; for example, design of interpretation panels and brochures.