❓ Mr. Hyde questions the Minister for Heritage regarding the lack of preservation of the fire-damaged Guildford Hotel, focusing on a recent fire incident and the Minister's actions to prevent demolition by neglect. The Minister acknowledges the issues and outlines limitations of the current Heritage Act and ongoing efforts.
AnsweredQoN 4668Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Given that the Minister continues to state that he would prefer the arson damaged, weather-open Guildford Hotel to be roofed, I ask:
(a) is the Minister aware that the owners were ordered by the City of Swan to remove the socks and banners from the Guildford Hotel late last year; and
(i) if so, is he also aware that the socks and banners were put in a pile on the site and set on fire on Australia Day, 26 January 2011;
(b) does the Minister recognise the risk posed by the burning of the socks and banners in an area where high winds and unguarded sparks have led to damaging fires;
(c) as the Minister has been alerted by letter recently that the hotel site and the hotel building is unsecured, does he acknowledge that the fire could have accidentally spread; and
(d) what actions is the Minister taking to actually get this heritage building preserved and to ensure that demolition by neglect in other heritage buildings is arrested?
(a) is the Minister aware that the owners were ordered by the City of Swan to remove the socks and banners from the Guildford Hotel late last year; and
(i) if so, is he also aware that the socks and banners were put in a pile on the site and set on fire on Australia Day, 26 January 2011;
(b) does the Minister recognise the risk posed by the burning of the socks and banners in an area where high winds and unguarded sparks have led to damaging fires;
(c) as the Minister has been alerted by letter recently that the hotel site and the hotel building is unsecured, does he acknowledge that the fire could have accidentally spread; and
(d) what actions is the Minister taking to actually get this heritage building preserved and to ensure that demolition by neglect in other heritage buildings is arrested?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
14 March 2011
Responded by
Minister for Heritage
Response time
26 days
(a) Yes
(i) BPG Australia, which is are managing the redevelopment of the Guildford Hotel on behalf of the owners, advised the Office of Heritage that the method of disposal used by the contractor engaged to remove and dispose of the socks and banners as required by the City of Swan was not authorised by BPG or the owners, and the contractor will have no further involvement with the site.
(b) Yes
(c) Fortunately, the fire did not spread.
(d) As previously advised in response to Legislative Assembly Question on Notice 3801, there are no provisions in the
Heritage of Western Australia Act 1990
that require owners to maintain registered places to certain standards. There are also no powers that enable the Minister for Heritage or the Heritage Council to compel an owner to undertake certain works.
Through the Office of Heritage, the Heritage Council will continue to work constructively with the owners and the City of Swan as plans for the repair and redevelopment of the whole of the Guildford Hotel site progress.
I have recently amended the
Heritage of Western Australia Act 1990
providing significantly increased protections for State registered heritage places, with the maximum penalties that can be applied to persons found guilty by a Court of unauthorised demolition of a registered place now $1 million, with a development moratorium of up to 10 years also available to the Courts.
I have also initiated a review of the Heritage Act, which will include comprehensive stakeholder and community consultation on what modern heritage legislation should do to recognise, protect and promote our State's rich heritage.
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
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(i) BPG Australia, which is are managing the redevelopment of the Guildford Hotel on behalf of the owners, advised the Office of Heritage that the method of disposal used by the contractor engaged to remove and dispose of the socks and banners as required by the City of Swan was not authorised by BPG or the owners, and the contractor will have no further involvement with the site.
(b) Yes
(c) Fortunately, the fire did not spread.
(d) As previously advised in response to Legislative Assembly Question on Notice 3801, there are no provisions in the
Heritage of Western Australia Act 1990
that require owners to maintain registered places to certain standards. There are also no powers that enable the Minister for Heritage or the Heritage Council to compel an owner to undertake certain works.
Through the Office of Heritage, the Heritage Council will continue to work constructively with the owners and the City of Swan as plans for the repair and redevelopment of the whole of the Guildford Hotel site progress.
I have recently amended the
Heritage of Western Australia Act 1990
providing significantly increased protections for State registered heritage places, with the maximum penalties that can be applied to persons found guilty by a Court of unauthorised demolition of a registered place now $1 million, with a development moratorium of up to 10 years also available to the Courts.
I have also initiated a review of the Heritage Act, which will include comprehensive stakeholder and community consultation on what modern heritage legislation should do to recognise, protect and promote our State's rich heritage.
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
http://www.rtlib.com
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