The failure to planBy phill PARSONSThe recent intervention by Heritage Minister Bacon in the saga of the National Trust is an example of the outcomes of a failure to plan Tasmania’s development in relation to its impact on our cultural and natural heritage. The fault does not lie with one government, the community itself is programmed for cargo and at the push of a few buttons the cultists gyrate appropriately. One only has to refer to the recent offer of $800 million to reform the timber industry. The National Trust has fulfilled an important role as a practical conservator and as the community's conscience on cultural heritage, government left a vacumn that the Trust filled and government has then tried to keep the heritage on the cheap. Now, it has had to deal with a rich heritage of development from the second oldest and possibly best preserved state with an influx of tourists looking for those things that make Tasmania special. The preservation of a range of cultural heritage has been the result of being a relative economic backwater in comparison to NSW. That difference saw the heritage of Circular Key disappear in waves of growth whilst Salamanca Place and the IXL buildings remained in a more intact colonial waterfront. Whilst we see controversy over the heritage of the cities we see no overall treatment identifying the key elements of heritage and focussing on conserving them. We see limited allowance in many of the local government planning schemes approved by the state government. A little coordination here would reduce the workload of the Planning Appeals Tribunal and see the landscape we have change in a managed way that balances the competing interests of moving from a backwater and having an experience to attract repeat visits from tourists. Whilst attempting tourism development reliant on focal points, one that benefits the big investors clustered at Cradle and Strahan and in the major cities the whole of Tasmania has to be considered if government is to act for the longer term. Many competing interests demand a share of Tasmania’s resources. If government has any role in the management of economic development it is resolving those interests to ensure an outcome that meets the demands of today and the needs of future generations - in summary sustainable development. Phill Parsons has been involved in several appeals on matters involving the landscape and conserving its cultural heritage and is amused by the genuflections before mammon and moolah. He is familiar with the failures of the first city and hopes they do not come to rule all space to the detriment of our spirit.
RAPID RESPONSE EMAIL: What do you think? Saturday, November 27, 2004 |