DELISTING LAUNCESTON HERITAGE .... WHY?

Click here to access this article online

JAMES BRADY'S TEXT: THE proposed de-listing of 44 Balfour Street properties from the Tasmanian Heritage Register has been questioned by a Launceston architect. ......... Lionel Morrell said he was a member of the National Trust classification and building advisory committee when the street, including the advertised properties, were listed on the register. ......... Mr Morrell said, at the time, the process was considered to be the most extensive classification process ever undertaken by the committee for the National Trust. ......... A letter detailing the study was sent to Tasmanian Heritage Council chairwoman Brett Torossi, Heritage Minister Matthew Groom and Treasurer Peter Gutwein. ......... "The process included research of valuation rolls and other archive material to establish a detailed history of each place, builders, architects and inhabitants," Mr Morrell wrote. ......... "From surveys of the street, and photographs, architectural descriptions were prepared, formulating a statement of significance. ......... "All owners and occupants were contacted formally by letter prior to the conclusion of the research, and none of the owners objected to the entry of their property on the National Trust's Register and nomination to the Launceston City Council's Heritage List." ......... Ms Torossi said she had access to the reports. ......... "A wide range of relevant records available to the Heritage Council were considered as part of the recent assessments of entries on the Tasmanian Heritage Register," Ms Torossi said. ......... "The 'intention to remove' process is designed to provide affected property owners and the public with the opportunity to furnish any additional information that they think will assist the Heritage Council to make informed decisions. ......... "The Tasmanian Heritage Council is completing its consultation with the Launceston community and at the same time has begun the process with affected property owners in Hobart." ......... 

FURTHER COMMENT FROM LIONELL MORRELL ......... All Launceston properties that have been entered on the statutory Planning Scheme heritage list were subject to a public advertising and objection process. When the Tasmanian Parliament created the legislation for the Tasmanian Heritage Council and hence the Tasmanian Heritage Register, it was Parliament who made it law to automatically move over all listings in Launceston and Hobart, as well as places listed on the National Trust Register, to the Tasmanian Heritage Register. This was a very public process. In the case of Balfour St, additional work was done, so why is the THC now trying to undo this thorough process?......... The issue of house insurance is a matter for the Australian Insurance Council, and you may be surprised to learn that another of their whacky conditions applied to housing insurance, voids cover on all buildings over 100 years old unless noted and agreed. Who has ticked that box on their application/renewal form? This has nothing to do with heritage listings and in Launceston, of the 30,000 buildings in the city, only a small percentage are heritage listed, but a large number are over 100 years old. With Launceston founded over 200 years ago, it is obviously an old city, but why is it potentially denied insurance cover. Just because you have paid an insurance premium doesn't mean your building is covered.