SA Best: Keep heritage away from politicians and councils

SA BEST would take heritage-listing decisions out of the hands of politicians and councils, and instead create an independent body to make decisions on which properties to protect.

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SA BEST would take heritage-listing decisions out of the hands of politicians and councils, Davenport candidate Karen Hockley announced at a heritage forum last night.

Ms Hockley, who is also a Mitcham councillor, told the National Trust’s Valuing Our Heritage forum the party would create an independent body to deal with all heritage listings.

Currently, councils approve local heritage items, while the SA Heritage Council approves state listings.

The Environment Minister has the power to delist provisionally-listed state heritage items.

“We think these sort of decisions should be removed from politicians who could potentially have a vested interest in their heart,” Ms Hockley said.

“These decisions should be given to an independent body to make all decisions relevant to heritage items.”

Greens leader Mark Parnell, Advance SA candidate Peter Humphries, Opposition environment spokesman David Speirs, Lord Mayor Martin Haese, Environment Minister Ian Hunter, SA Best Davenport candidate Karen Hockley and Australian Conservatives MLC Robert Brokenshire at the National Trust's Valuing Our Heritage forum.

The body would also be consulted on any proposal “impacting a heritage item”.

“That way, the people who care about heritage and have specialist knowledge in relation to heritage would be able to have their say and have an opportunity to influence the development of a buildings nearby to heritage,” Ms Hockley said.

Environment Minister Ian Hunter. Source: File

Since becoming Environment Minister in 2013, Ian Hunter has delisted only two items: the Maughan Church on Franklin St in the city and two pieces of railway equipment known as traversers at the Islington Railway Workshops.

He defended both decisions at the forum, along with his power to make them.

“We’ve done it relatively infrequently and I think there will always be a role for the minister to utilise that discretion very occasionally on the basis of what’s going to be good for the community on that site into the future, weighing up all the concerns we have about our history and cultural values and coming to a judgment,” Mr Hunter said.

“I don’t think you can do that by committee — I just don’t.”

Opposition environment spokesman David Speirs said he was “quite happy with that to stay how it is”.

“The policy approach I would change is to review the role of the Heritage Council to see if it needs more of an independent focus and if it needs different powers,” Mr Speirs said.

Australian Conservatives MLC Robert Brokenshire said it was a “very, very dangerous practice” to give ministers overriding powers.

“If I am privileged to be re-elected, every time a piece of legislation comes through from now on where I see more powers being given to ministers, I will be questioning it like you wouldn’t believe,” Mr Brokenshire said.