Heritage Alert

Heritage Legislation under attack

Media Release

WA Government agencies are conspiring to weaken the new Heritage Bill due to be considered by Cabinet next week. They want to change the law to exempt themselves from stringent requirements to consult on development at heritage sites.

Under current policy in WA and most other states, government agencies are required to submit to the same controls as private and corporate property owners.

The State Government must honour its election promise of “Leading By Example” in heritage with the new Bill, says National Trust WA Chairman Professor David Dolan.

At its first meeting for 2003, on 10 February, the Council of the National Trust resolved to record its concern with the processes associated with the new Bill. As the peak community heritage body, the National Trust finds it unacceptable that it has not been involved in drafting the new heritage legislation.

The Trust Council is concerned this Government may back down from its election commitment to “lead by example” by proposing different tiers of heritage regulation.

One for local government and private owners and another (a lower standard) for State agencies!

It is contrary to declared policy and highly undesirable that ultimate decisions on development approvals for government owned heritage places should be made behind closed doors between ministers. Government developments should be subject to the same open and transparent process applying to the private sector.

The National Trust supports a strong independent Heritage Council – one that has the legislative power to be an effective regulator.

The National Trust will not support heritage legislation that is “watered down” to allow government agencies to avoid their obligations as custodians of public property.