|
|
On
14th March, 2003 the National Trust wrote to the major political parties
contesting the March 2003 State Election. The Trust sought comment from
the parties on a number of key heritage issues and raised the fate of
several endangered places. As
the responses are received the Trust's "State Election 2003" Website will
be promptly updated to allow Trust members and the general public to reach
an informed position on their voting intentions. The text of the letter
to the parties is set out below: -
There
have been important and welcomed recent decisions to protect vital NSW
historic places and buildings. These include the Kurnell Sand Dune,
funding for the Grafton Saraton Theatre, proposed listing on the State
Heritage Register of the Scone Civic Theatre, protection for Ballast
Point, Callan Park , the James Fletcher Hospital site (Newcastle) and
a proposal for the creation of a number of key new National Parks. But
a number of important heritage places and items remain threatened.
The
25,000 members of the National Trust are seeking the latest position
and policies of the major political parties on a number of key heritage
issues and endangered places prior to the upcoming NSW State Election
to assist them in their voting intentions.
Your
response to the following points would be very much appreciated. The
Trust will be publishing the results on its website (www.nsw.nationaltrust.org.au)
and emailing this information to members.
-
URBAN CONSOLIDATION
While the Trust supports the basic principles underlying Urban Consolidation,
in practice key historic properties, their grounds and vital views and
vistas are under constant threat. Individual developments are often
determined without due regard to the protection of historic significance
and community aspirations.
- SEPP
5
Despite a recent review and notwithstanding the logical rationale for
this State Policy, its implementation continues to be seriously flawed.
In many cases it acts as a loophole for developers to bypass or over-ride
proper planning and heritage protection. SEPP 5 developments are often
poorly designed and sited without due regard to their context or the
needs of the elderly. There are no effective checks or balances to ensure
that the ultimate occupiers of these developments are the section of
the public the State Policy is intended to assist.
- INDEPENDENCE
IN DEVELOPMENT ASSESSMENT
The community regard the development assessment process as biased towards
the approval of inappropriate development at the expense of localities'
most important feature - their sense of place and identity.
Several factors contribute to this problem including occasional but
significant corruption at local government level, lip service style
public consultation and the procurement by developers of consultants
who are prepared to tailor their reports to provide a green light for
the destruction of vital heritage. Solutions to these problems could
include allowing communities to develop their own heritage conservation
planning instruments to balance and counter inapropriate development
and the establishment of a pool of expert consultants to be made available
by determining authorities (with developer funding) on a transparent,
rotational basis.
- FUNDING
FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF GOVERNMENT HERITAGE
Although required by the Heritage Act to list their heritage items,
buildings and places there is no funding provided to maintain and protect
the heritage significance of government owned properties Often government
instrumentalities will cite that such maintenance work is not "core
business". This sets a poor example for the private sector and individual
owners.
- THE
PROTECTION OF PUBLIC LAND
The National Trust is a foundation member of the Protectors of Public
Lands and supports the current PPL approach to all members of Parliament
and election candidates to sign the PPL State Election Pledge.
ENDANGERED SITES
Your party's response to the continuing threat to the following key
heritage sites would be appreciated:-
-
North Head Quarantine Station
- Tempe
House, Arncliffe (historic landscape threatened by high-rise development)
-
ADI Site, St Marys (entire site Classified by the National Trust in
1996)
-
Wollongong Regent Theatre (threatened with major demolition)
-
Dubbo Former RAAF Base (development proposal may threaten rare and intact
collection of major World War II period buildings and Cypress Woodland
I
look forward to your response to enable the Trust's "State Election
2003" Website to be promptly updated allowing our members and the
general public to reach an informed position on their voting intentions.
Yours
sincerely,
Elsa
Atkin
Executive Director
|
