The National Trust of Australia (NSW) Strategic Plan 2025 – 29
The National Trust of Australia (NSW) Strategic Plan 2025–29
Developed by the National Trust Board together with staff, volunteer, member, committee and branch engagement
The National Trust is a community-based, non-government organisation, committed to promoting and conserving New South Wales’ natural, built and cultural heritage. It is a statutory body corporate and charitable entity established under The National Trust of Australia (New South Wales) Act 1990.
Founded in 1945 by Annie Wyatt, the National Trust began with a mission to conserve Sydney’s bushland and historic architecture. The National Trust cares for significant collections, archival materials, magnificent gardens, galleries, and house museums, across New South Wales, while also leading in the field of Bushland Management. The National Trust’s advocacy efforts raise awareness for natural, cultural and built heritage under threat.
Acknowledgement of Country
The National Trust acknowledges the traditional owners of the land on which we work, live and share stories of heritage. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging. We support and are signatories to the Uluru Statement.
Message from President and Executive Director
For more than 80 years the National Trust has championed heritage conservation, leading by example through the places it manages and cares for and advocating strongly for important heritage places and causes.
Over recent years, guided by the 2020–24 Strategic Plan, the National Trust has diversified its membership through new membership growth, and improved engagement with members, volunteers, supporters and the community. The National Trust has over 20,000 members, is the custodian of more than 30 house museums, galleries, natural areas and gardens, has more than 60,000 items in its collection and restores native bushland through Bushland Management Services. The visitor experience at National Trust places has been refreshed, creating opportunities for the community to understand, appreciate and celebrate New South Wales’s rich heritage. We have modernised our governance and invested in better systems to support our operations and people.
Today, the National Trust looks confidently to a sustainable future and our new Strategic Plan 2025–29 is firmly anchored in that goal. We continue as a passionate and effective voice for heritage, while reviewing our operations to ensure we meet the needs and expectations of both current and future generations. New strategies and resources will make the National Trust financially sustainable, while ensuring that we continue to care for our people. The Board engaged with staff, members, volunteers, branches and committees. As a result, the National Trust’s Vision, Mission and Values have been updated to reflect the objectives in the National Trust Act and our strong commitment to sustainability.
The National Trust’s 2025–29 Strategic Plan builds on the momentum of the previous Strategic Plan 2020–24 and will move forward by reviewing the appropriate use and custodianship for each of the properties, improving the National Trust’s commercial performance and collaborating with government, industry and the community. The Strategic Plan sets out high-level objectives, to be achieved through annual action plans, funded by the resources that become available as the plan is progressively implemented.
The National Trust 2025–29 Strategic Plan is focused on sustainability, because in the long term, the National Trust
needs to be sustainable to pass on our heritage to future generations. For the National Trust, sustainability is looking after the needs of the present while also securing a confident future.
Heritage embodies the notion of an inheritance. For the current generation of National Trust members and supporters, this means looking to ensure for future members, supporters and the wider community, an organisation that is financially sustainable. This includes properly caring for and presenting our special places and looking after our people. The National Trust recognises that heritage conservation is an integral part of environmental sustainability.
To be sustainable the National Trust needs to review and prioritise its resources and proceed in a logical, achievable manner, while remaining true to its Vision, Mission and Values. This Strategic Plan sets out how this can be achieved through six over-arching objectives related to community engagement and advocacy, caring for our people, collaboration, financial sustainability, properties review and improved commercial performance.
Together we will ensure the success and sustainability that will achieve our Vision of bringing heritage to life now and into the future.
This Strategic Plan was endorsed by the Board of Directors on 25 September 2024.
Papunya Tula: 50 Years exhibition at S.H. Ervin Gallery (photography by Jane Watters)
Kathryn Pitkin AM, President
Debbie Mills, Executive Director
Vision
Bringing the heritage of NSW to life now and into the future.
Mission
• Advocate for the conservation of our built, cultural and natural heritage by engaging strategically with governments, industry, media and community.
• Identify, conserve and sustain our built, cultural and natural heritage by example, advice and support.
• Engage and educate our diverse communities through inclusive programs and stories that bring our collective histories to life for all generations.
Values
• Independent – be a leading voice for heritage and the natural environment.
• Trustworthy – act with professionalism, integrity and ethics.
• Inclusive – embrace and reflect NSW’s diverse communities and stories.
• Inspirational – deliver enriching and engaging experiences and positive heritage outcomes.
Community Engagement and Advocacy
The National Trust has an outstanding and well-earned reputation for heritage advocacy, which will continue as a core activity.
In addition, there are opportunities to expand the National Trust’s connections and relevance to the community and to share Indigenous history, stories and truth-telling. The National Trust and the places and causes it supports can benefit from an expanded membership that better reflect the diversity of people throughout NSW. National Trust gardens, galleries, house museums and activities provide important opportunities for creating new community connections.
OBJECTIVE 1:
THE NATIONAL TRUST ENGAGES EFFECTIVELY WITH THE COMMUNITY AS A STRONG ADVOCATE FOR HERITAGE
This objective will be achieved by ensuring that the National Trust enhances its leading role in advocacy for heritage, the environment and sustainability by engaging broadly and effectively with diverse communities across NSW.
Priority actions to achieve this objective:
1. Maintain leadership in heritage advocacy, through focus on key strategic issues and campaigns
2. Consider opportunities for increasing positive influence and advocacy through local National Trust Branches
3. Embrace and support Indigenous narratives and truth-telling
4. Broaden membership through offering innovative and diverse activities.
Visitors in the parterre garden at Lindesay (photography by Rick Stevens)
Winners of the National Trust (NSW) Heritage Awards (photography by Yianni Aspradakis)
Caring for our People
As a community organisation, the National Trust relies on the goodwill and contributions of its people; staff, volunteers, members, committees, branches, board members, donors and other like-minded supporters.
The National Trust is always seeking to achieve as much as possible, maximising its impact with limited resources. As a result, our people may become overextended and expected to do too much. It is important that the National Trust continues to provide a safe, supportive and motivating environment for its people, while also supporting them, and the organisation itself, with appropriate systems and resources to maximise impact.
OBJECTIVE 2:
THE NATIONAL TRUST VALUES AND CARES FOR OUR PEOPLE
This objective will be achieved by adopting a holistic approach to human resources, valuing, caring for and acknowledging the National Trust’s staff, volunteers, and supporters.
Priority actions to achieve this objective:
1. Review and align the National Trust’s structure with the Strategic Plan
2. Introduce a holistic HR System for staff and volunteers
3. Apply resources to enable National Trust people to deliver strategic outcomes.
Collaboration
The National Trust often supports and pursues programs and causes that are also supported by a range of like-minded organisations, including government agencies, companies and community groups.
Some aspects of the National Trust’s work rely on effective relationships with government and other organisations. There is great potential for the National Trust to be more effective in its advocacy and sustainable in its operations through outreach and productive collaboration.
OBJECTIVE 3:
THE NATIONAL TRUST IS COLLABORATIVE
This objective will be achieved by engaging with government, industry, media and the community to increase the National Trust’s effectiveness, further the cause of heritage conservation, and reach a wider audience.
Priority actions to achieve this objective:
1. Strengthen existing government, industry and community relationships, connections and collaborations and enhance their effectiveness
2. Explore new aligned collaboration opportunities
3. Enhance media opportunities and relations
4. Collaborate with the education sector.
Staff and volunteers caring for National Trust gardens (photography by SGR Photo)
Collaboration with the National Institute of Dramatic Art to preserve an eighteenth-century silk dress (photography by Jacquie Manning)
Financial Sustainability
As a community organisation which has relied on member, volunteer, donor, community and government support, the National Trust has always tried to do more within the bounds of its limited resources.
Over time recurrent financial obligations have increased and in recent years expenditure has consistently exceeded income. The National Trust holds significant assets, including heritage properties and funds held in Trust, which are dedicated to particular purposes as part of each specific bequest and donation.
Making the National Trust financially sustainable means ensuring that operations cover present needs while also enabling future needs to be addressed. Income should meet or exceed expenditure every year, including adequate expenditure or provisioning for repairs and maintenance to National Trust assets. Funds that are held for particular purposes should continue to be deployed in full compliance with donor and other requirements.
OBJECTIVE 4:
THE NATIONAL TRUST IS A FINANCIALLY STRONG, STABLE AND SUSTAINABLE ORGANISATION
This objective will be achieved by ensuring that the National Trust’s operating costs are commensurate with its income.
Priority actions to achieve this objective:
1. Manage the National Trust’s operating model to reflect budget parameters
2. Achieve a balanced budget
3. Manage annual property costs, funding arrangements and performance through property-specific strategies
4. Develop an impactful philanthropy campaign
5. Implement recruitment initiatives, ongoing retention and continuing engagement of members and volunteers.
Properties Review
The National Trust has acquired, been gifted and has custodianship of a substantial property portfolio, which has helped ensure the conservation of many important places.
Some of these properties may no longer require National Trust custodianship to be conserved. The National Trust will therefore consider alternative ways to continue to ensure the long-term conservation of our heritage places and objects.
The National Trust is the custodian of prominent heritage properties that are presented to the community as gardens, galleries and house museums, often with strong volunteer support. The National Trust also owns and maintains other properties that have important heritage values that are not open to the public. The ongoing sustainable operation of these properties, and the range of visitor experiences and commercial opportunities, warrant review to ensure that the National Trust remains at the forefront of historic property, conservation, management and interpretation.
OBJECTIVE 5:
THE NATIONAL TRUST HAS A SUSTAINABLE STRATEGY FOR EACH OF ITS PROPERTIES
This objective will be achieved by reviewing our property portfolio to determine appropriate options for long-term care, control and management.
Priority actions to achieve this objective:
1. Progressively develop and implement appropriate strategies for each property
2. Invest in properties in a way that considers their expanded use and economic potential
3. Seek additional support for conservation and interpretation of government-owned properties currently in the care of the National Trust
4. Divest selected properties which are robust and better suited to different custodial arrangements.
Visitors in the garden at Retford Park (photography by SGR Photo)
Harper’s Mansion (photography by Michael Kennedy)
Improved Commercial Performance
Making heritage work supports the National Trust in achieving its objectives, is good for heritage and underpins the National Trust’s important role as an exemplar of best practice heritage conservation.
To be sustainable, the National Trust must operate as a viable enterprise, including its Bushland Management Services. The National Trust’s brand, calibre of activities, some National Trust properties and Bushland Management Services lend themselves to commercial success, and the National Trust has already investigated and identified a range of opportunities for improving commercial performance, through additional investment and greater focus.
OBJECTIVE 6:
THE NATIONAL TRUST’S COMMERCIAL OPPORTUNITIES ARE REALISED
This objective will be achieved by investing in high-value commercial opportunities at National Trust gardens, galleries and house museums and focusing on profitable enterprises.
Priority actions to achieve this objective:
1. Review and optimise performance, partnerships and opportunities to increase financial return from properties and activities
2. Invest in opportunities that align with the National Trust and present the greatest commercial potential
3. Review and enhance operations and profitability of Bushland Management Services.
Implementing the Strategic Plan
The National Trust cannot pursue every action in the Strategic Plan immediately nor concurrently.
The financial sustainability and properties review programs, when implemented, will reduce costs and generate funds, thereby enabling other actions, directed at improved commercial performance.
Resources required to support community engagement and advocacy, caring for our people, and collaboration rely on the successful implementation of the other programs.
ANNUAL ACTION PLAN
The National Trust Board and Executive Director will develop an Annual Action Plan, which will set out the priorities for each year, thereby supporting orderly and logical implementation of the Strategic Plan and achievement of the objectives.
MONITORING
As part of each Annual Action Plan, the National Trust Board and Executive Director will establish success indicators for each of the priority actions selected from this Strategic Plan. Annual progress will be measured against these indicators.
REPORTING
The Annual Reports of the National Trust for the period 2025 to 2029 will include a summary report on the progress of priority actions and achievement of the objectives of this Strategic Plan.
National Trust bushland restoration, through Bushland Management Services, at Lansdowne Biobank (photography supplied)
Conservators restore one of the National Trust’s largest sculptures (photography by SGR Photo)
Thank you
Thank you to our staff, volunteers and members who contributed their ideas and passion, which has resulted in the development of this Strategic Plan.
Achieving our Strategic Plan will ensure we are a relevant organisation, connected to our diverse and increasing number of engaged supporters. It ensures we continue to have a respected and knowledgeable voice so we can protect our heritage, care for the significant properties, landscapes and collections and share their stories in engaging ways so they are celebrated and valued. The Strategic Plan will ensure we are sustainable.
Help us to bring the heritage of New South Wales to life now and into the future. To find out more visit nationaltrust.org.au/nsw
National Trust gardens (photography front by Dominique & Giovanni Portelli; back by SGR Photo)
The National Trust of Australia (New South Wales) ABN: 82
