Page 129 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 24 May 1989
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it available to generations after generations of Canberrans, many of whom will, like Mr Stefaniak, be born here. Mr Humphries said that the Opposition is concerned about the high priorities. He went on to say that areas like Reid, Barton and Kingston are susceptible. I want to re-emphasise that even areas that are listed are still susceptible. We must be careful to make sure that whatever heritage legislation we have also assists to make them even less susceptible. I speak particularly about the dual occupancy situation at the moment.
Let me move on to the Heritage Committee. The Chief Minister has commented that she took advice from the Heritage Committee, the same Heritage Committee that was appointed by Labor Minister Holding. The Chief Minister did not have to take that advice. She simply did not have to take the advice of that committee. It was quite clear that the Chief Minister, with a couple of words, could easily have protected that house in Barton.
It has been clear to me for many years that the ACT Heritage Committee has been totally inadequate with reference to streetscape heritage, and once again it was the same. I received a number of letters from that committee, including some about Barton, that went on about all the advantages and why it should be saved and so forth and then in the last paragraphs it stated that perhaps it had to go down.
I do not know what the influence is on that Heritage Committee but, as the Chief Minister suggests, to give it more power and so forth I think is very dubious indeed. Let us have a new heritage committee. I think the concept of giving a heritage committee more power is correct but I also believe that, whatever that heritage committee is, it should be put together by a consensus of this Assembly so that we can be sure that the interests of all are served by it.
That is not to reflect on any of the individual people on that committee. I have a great deal of respect for the various members of it, particularly somebody who has served on it for many years, Professor Mulvaney. The Chief Minister also drew attention to the fact that we have had a reactive mode to heritage situations, and of course that has been necessary because of the fact that people have not been aware of where developments are to take place. They seem to have slipped up on people.
The certainty about which the Chief Minister talks will be for people living in those areas as well as for developers. Let me assure Mr Stefaniak that the competing interests of citizens in this area have not been found to be at great odds in the area of Reid. I have extended my house by approximately 13 squares, as an owner builder, and have had no difficulty in keeping it in its heritage tradition and
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