City of Launceston Council is backing a scholarship program which offers local tradespeople the opportunity to build the specialist skills required to work on Tasmania’s historic buildings.
Guided by the Council’s Heritage Advisory Committee, the Council is seeking expressions of interest from qualified tradespersons currently living in Launceston or working within the municipality.
The Council has committed to fully fund fees for two successful applicants to attend a special six-day Practical Building Conservation course presented by the Longford Academy.
The intensive course will provide practical and theoretical training in key aspects of built heritage conservation, including:
- Paint stripping techniques;
- Dealing with damp issues and extracting salts;
- Working with traditional lime-based materials (mortars, plasters, and limewashes);
- Diagnosing timber decay and determining repair needs;
- Roofing systems and metals in heritage contexts.
Designed for both hands-on tradespeople and those who specify or oversee conservation work, Council says the program will offer valuable exposure to common challenges encountered when maintaining or restoring older buildings.
Mayor, Matthew Garwood said the initiative reflected the Council’s strong commitment to sustaining heritage trades and skills across the region.
“Launceston has a really strong architectural history, from old Victorian homes through to our historic public buildings, and looking after them properly relies on skilled tradespeople who know how these places were originally built,” Mayor Garwood said.
“Backing local trades to build and strengthen those traditional skills helps make sure that knowledge stays here and gets passed on.
“This course is a great opportunity for people to grow their skills while also playing a role in caring for some of the most important buildings in our city.”
Applications are now open on the Council’s website at launceston.tas.gov.au and will close at 5pm on Friday 3 April. Successful applicants must live or work in Launceston and will be selected based on their current work in relevant trades, demonstrated interest in heritage conservation, and potential to apply the skills in Launceston projects.
