NEW LAWS TO IMPROVE QUEENSLAND HERITAGE PROTECTION
Published Thursday, 18 October, 2007 at 06:05 PM
Minister for Sustainability, Climate Change and Innovation
The Honourable Andrew McNamara
Queensland Parliament today past laws to simplify heritage management across the state, speed up the heritage listing process and offer better protection for the state’s special heritage places.
The Queensland Heritage and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2007 enjoyed bipartisan support as a positive step forward for heritage preservation in Queensland.
Minister for Sustainability, Climate Change and Innovation, Andrew McNamara, said the Queensland Heritage Council, the property development industry and key heritage lobby groups had been consulted during the process and were supportive of the changes.
“The Queensland Heritage Act 1992 was a landmark step forward in the conservation of heritage in this state, but a lot has changed in Queensland since it was passed,” Mr McNamara said.
“The new Act provides a balance between ensuring better protection for heritage places while meeting the need for greater certainty from the development industry.
“This new process allows enough time for a heritage nomination to be properly investigated, while providing a short enough maximum timeframe in which the issue must be decided.”
Mr McNamara said new minimum maintenance provisions are key in preventing “demolition by neglect”, and are a major step forward in the management of heritage in Queensland.
“The provisions are only to be used in extreme cases of neglect, but will help bring Queensland into line with other states of Australia which have had minimum maintenance standards for some time,” Mr McNamara said.
“Penalties have also been increased to reflect the seriousness of causing wilful damage to our state’s heritage places and our cultural identity in the process.
“I am glad that there has been such support for the Bill from stakeholders.
“It’s a reflection that positive change was required to streamline the process and reduce red tape, and its support today heralds the most important period for heritage in Queensland since the original legislation was passed 15 years ago.”
Changes to the legislation include:
• Streamlining of the process for nominating places to the Heritage Register, providing more transparency and certainty, and the opportunity for owners and the community to be engaged in the process from the beginning.
• the Queensland Heritage Council will remain a statutory authority independent of Government, and it will continue to decide what places are entered in or removed from the Queensland Heritage Register.
• owners will be involved earlier when a place is being considered for entry in the Register, and they will now have a right to be heard by the Heritage Council before it makes its decision.
• the Heritage Council will continue to provide advice to the Minister on heritage policy matters, and on development proposals affecting Government-owned heritage buildings.
• places having archaeological value will be mapped and be searchable.
• Requirement for local governments to keep a register of places of local significance in their area, phased in over several years.
• The introduction of interim protection orders will enable properties under threat to be put on the Heritage Register for 60 days while they can be investigated.
“Queensland’s historic places help distinguish us from other parts of Australia - they help define how Queenslanders see themselves and how we, in turn, are seen by others,” Mr McNamara said.
“These important places deserve heritage legislation which is effective and balanced, and that’s what they’ve now got.”
Media contact: Peter McCarthy 3336 8004
The Queensland Heritage and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2007 enjoyed bipartisan support as a positive step forward for heritage preservation in Queensland.
Minister for Sustainability, Climate Change and Innovation, Andrew McNamara, said the Queensland Heritage Council, the property development industry and key heritage lobby groups had been consulted during the process and were supportive of the changes.
“The Queensland Heritage Act 1992 was a landmark step forward in the conservation of heritage in this state, but a lot has changed in Queensland since it was passed,” Mr McNamara said.
“The new Act provides a balance between ensuring better protection for heritage places while meeting the need for greater certainty from the development industry.
“This new process allows enough time for a heritage nomination to be properly investigated, while providing a short enough maximum timeframe in which the issue must be decided.”
Mr McNamara said new minimum maintenance provisions are key in preventing “demolition by neglect”, and are a major step forward in the management of heritage in Queensland.
“The provisions are only to be used in extreme cases of neglect, but will help bring Queensland into line with other states of Australia which have had minimum maintenance standards for some time,” Mr McNamara said.
“Penalties have also been increased to reflect the seriousness of causing wilful damage to our state’s heritage places and our cultural identity in the process.
“I am glad that there has been such support for the Bill from stakeholders.
“It’s a reflection that positive change was required to streamline the process and reduce red tape, and its support today heralds the most important period for heritage in Queensland since the original legislation was passed 15 years ago.”
Changes to the legislation include:
• Streamlining of the process for nominating places to the Heritage Register, providing more transparency and certainty, and the opportunity for owners and the community to be engaged in the process from the beginning.
• the Queensland Heritage Council will remain a statutory authority independent of Government, and it will continue to decide what places are entered in or removed from the Queensland Heritage Register.
• owners will be involved earlier when a place is being considered for entry in the Register, and they will now have a right to be heard by the Heritage Council before it makes its decision.
• the Heritage Council will continue to provide advice to the Minister on heritage policy matters, and on development proposals affecting Government-owned heritage buildings.
• places having archaeological value will be mapped and be searchable.
• Requirement for local governments to keep a register of places of local significance in their area, phased in over several years.
• The introduction of interim protection orders will enable properties under threat to be put on the Heritage Register for 60 days while they can be investigated.
“Queensland’s historic places help distinguish us from other parts of Australia - they help define how Queenslanders see themselves and how we, in turn, are seen by others,” Mr McNamara said.
“These important places deserve heritage legislation which is effective and balanced, and that’s what they’ve now got.”
Media contact: Peter McCarthy 3336 8004