Tamworth Regional Council is calling on locals to put forward nominations for the heritage assistance fund, which closes next Friday.

Chair of council’s heritage working group, Juanita Wilson, said the funding should spark a pasion in the commmunity for preserving history.

“What it’s actually doing is … engendering responsibility on upcoming generations to say we need to think hard about how we deal with our history,” Cr Wilson told The Leader.

“Council now acknowledges that heritage is significant to a community and if you don’t preserve it, you lose it.

“There’s really a growing interest in our heritage, and not only the heritage, but the stories that go with it.”

The fund can assist with projects that improve the appearance of buildings with historical significance, such as repainting, repair or replacement of items such as verandahs, roofs or fences.

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Council will match funding, dollar-for-dollar, on the winning nominations with the $45,000 kitty, which includes $6500 from the NSW Heritage Branch.

While it’s a significant investment from council, Cr Wilson said it wouldn’t be able to assist Manilla’s wooden viaduct bridge, whcih locals are fighting to save.

“It’s dollar-for-dollar funding, and if we look at round figures, it would be over a million,” she said.

“I think the best outcome for [the viaduct], this is my personal opinion, would be to preserve a section of that.

“To get that up to safety standards, it would be millions and then it’s got to be maintained.”

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However, the funding could allow business owners to tidy-up any significant facades around the region.

“Say someone has got an air-conditioner across the window of a facade or down-pipes coming down the centre, if they apply for funding to remove that or put the down-pipes down the side of the building,” she said.