A Greens view on Heritage

Lynn MacLaren, WA Greens spokesperson on heritage issues, sent her submission regarding the review of the Heritage of Western Australia Act to the Heritage Council on 10 June 2011. It reflects the views of a cross section of people in Western Australia who are passionate about heritage.

 The deadline for submissions has been extended to the end of the month. Details regarding how to make a submission are available on the Heritage Council's website.

“I was struck by the following message in Nova Scotia’s heritage strategy for 2008 - 2013” said Lynn:

“It gives us a deep knowledge of our past, a clear understanding of our present, and a solid foundation for our future. …Recognising and safeguarding this heritage is more than a mere nice-to-do, it is essential to our growth as a people.”

The Western Australian Heritage Act should be revised to include penalties for demolition by neglect and the state government should invest more in preserving not only built heritage, but cultural heritage as well. These are two major recommendations from Lynn’s submission to the Heritage Act Review.

It also submitted that the Heritage Council should have a strategic and proactive role in determining the future of heritage in Western Australia and should have the right to report directly to Parliament. Proper representation on the Council is vital to its functioning and the proper fulfilment of its powers and responsibilities.

The profile and status of heritage should be raised by educating Western Australians about its value.  Appropriate financial incentives and other mechanisms for enhancing the value of heritage listing in the minds of owners should be used, including the differential rating of heritage places, and the use of positive marketing.

“These are just some of the issues people raised with me in meetings, emails and written submissions in the lead-up to the deadline for submissions. Our submission is available to download from my website. I hope that the Minister takes heed of what people have said. I look forward to learning what the review team made of all the submissions received and what changes are proposed for our system of heritage protection”, said Lynn.

The next stage of the consultation will be the development of a discussion paper due for release in August and a further round of submissions.