New Deal Will Boost Australia's Heritage Protection
16 Jun 2003
Two bills currently before parliament will provide stronger protection for Australia's heritage icons and historic places, if a deal between the Howard government and Senator Meg Lees enables their passage through parliament.
Australia's leading environment and heritage organisations have welcomed news of the deal and say the new bills will finally bring national heritage protection under the protective umbrella of the Commonwealth's EPBC Act.
"These bills are a major advance over existing Commonwealth heritage laws", said Alistair Graham, Tasmanian Conservation Trust.
"Before these bills, Commonwealth legal protection was very limited, applying only to heritage sites on Commonwealth land and Commonwealth activities. This meant that many of the 14,000 properties listed on the Register of the National Estate received no Commonwealth legal protection."
The new bills will provide clear and accessible procedures for people to notify the Minister if the values of listed heritage properties are under threat.
"We are looking forward to seeing an independent and reinvigorated Australian Heritage Council as a result of this new legislation", said Michael Kennedy, Director, Humane Society International.
The Groups also welcomed the Howard government's additional $13.3 million dollars in the recent Budget for its new Distinctively Australian heritage initiative on the condition that this package of heritage legislation is passed. They also noted the earlier work done by a wider range of groups and the Democrats over the last two years or so in preparing elements of the package agreed between Prime Minister Howard and Senator Lees.
Media inquiries:
Alistair Graham , Tasmanian Conservation Trust, Ph. (03) 6234 3552
Michael Kennedy , Humane Society International (Australia), Mobile: 041 6215517
Andreas Glanznig , World Wide Fund for Nature (Australia), Ph. (02) 8202 1228
