State's heritage in safe hands

17/06/05
The State Government today released recipients for 2004-05 Heritage grants, with nearly two-thirds being allocated to regional areas.
Heritage Minister Francis Logan said the State's heritage had never been in safer hands than under the Gallop Government.
Mr Logan said the Government's heritage record had resulted in the State Register now totalling 1,100 places - which ensured that many historic places would stand well into the future.
"One example of adaptively reusing older buildings has been the private developments such as the Raffles Hotel in Applecross and the Nurses Memorial Centre in West Perth," he said.
"Both sites are on the State Register and have been incorporated into multi-storey apartment developments.
"The State Government has invested considerable funds into conserving its publicly-owned buildings by including several of the heritage buildings in the William and Wellington precinct as part of the new railway station development."
The Minister said $13million was earmarked to revitalise the heritage-listed East Perth Power Station and, as part of this year's State Budget, the Midland Railway Workshops would receive $3million for heritage conservation.
Mr Logan said he had come to the Heritage portfolio unveiling an ambitious program of redevelopment aimed at re-invigorating many of the State's heritage places such as the Old Treasury Building and the Sunset Hospital complex.
"Finding ways to integrate conservation and development that is not only practical but has general support will always be a challenge as different parties have competing interests," he said.
Mr Logan said the Heritage Grants Program, now in its second year of $1million worth of funding, made a real difference to privately owned heritage places throughout the State - and about 65 per cent of the funds were allocated to regional areas (27 projects at $656,400).
"The grants program acknowledges that private owners face different challenges in conserving heritage listed properties," he said.
"I recognise there is a growing demand for financial incentives for conservation for private owners of heritage places and will be investigating ways to meet this demand."
In 2004, more than 40 private owners benefited from grants ranging from $3,000 to $107,000 - with the average grant being about $25,355.
"Buildings that benefited from the grants program include The Rocks in Albany, Glengarry Homestead near Geraldton, the former Railway Hotel in Coolgardie and Subiaco's Regal Theatre," Mr Logan said.
Places that have been added to the State Register in the past year include the Cottesloe Beach Hotel, Parliament House, Broome's Chinatown Conservation Area and the Geraldton Primary School.
Other recent additions include Beatty Park Leisure Centre in Leederville, Claremont Council offices, Cottesloe Beach Hotel and Cottesloe Beach Precinct, Eucla Jetty ruins, Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse, Ord and Bateman Street Precinct in Fremantle, Menzies Railway Precinct, York-Beverly Racecourse, King Battery near Kalgoorlie, Butterabby Graves south of Mullewa and the North Kalgoorlie Fire Station.
The Minister said the Heritage Council was firmly in charge of protecting the heritage of Western Australia and this responsibility would grow under the Gallop Government.
"However, I am looking to streamline the heritage process to make it more open, transparent and prompt," Mr Logan said.
"This is why we are currently reviewing the Heritage Act and why we are separating the National Trust from Government, so the consumer has choice.
"As a quasi-independent body, the Trust involves itself in Government decision-making and Government projects (for example, the Sunset Hospital and York's Imperial Hotel) without authority.
"As Minister, I have no power to stop them. The State Government gives them millions of dollars each year, but has no power to direct them.
"Making them a private company will be good for everyone - good for the Government, good for the Trust and good for the people of WA."
Minister's office: 9222 8950