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Oak Lodge, on The National Trust website, here

At the time of year when we celebrate the Australian notion of a fair go, Richmond businesses and residents wonder why they have been singled out to pay for the maintenance of Tasmania’s built heritage.

The National Trust of Australia (Tasmania) has decided to sell Oak Lodge, a property that was gifted to the community under the care of the National Trust by Miss Muriel Horsfall and has been operated by the Coal River Valley Historical Society as a local museum. Much of the Richmond community is dependent on tourism for its livelihood. Loss of a local attraction affects all of Richmond.

Unlike the National Trust in other parts of Australia and the world, the National Trust in Tasmania is effectively a Government business enterprise set up by Act of Parliament in 2006 and is run by a Government-appointed board. The Tasmanian Government transfers its heritage properties under lease to the National Trust (Tasmania) who then sell properties that have been gifted to them by private individuals in order to maintain the Government-owned properties. In this manner, the State Government circumvents its obligation to maintain our heritage at no cost to its Treasury. (see Leo Schofield “Historic home almost history” Mercury Saturday Magazine, 26 January, 2013)

The State Government should spread the costs of looking after our heritage across the whole community, not just penalise a town that is significantly dependent on heritage and tourism.

If you gift a heritage property or chattels or money to the National Trust of Australia (Tasmania), believing that you are helping to preserve our heritage then think again. You are actually helping to fund the State Government.

• A Save Oak Lodge public meeting will be held at the Richmond Town Hall on Wednesday 30th January, 2013 at 7:30 p.m.

Michael Wadsley
Richmond
Tasmania
Australia 7025