Will Hodgman MP Leader of the State Opposition Thursday 19 March 2009
THE idea of a lottery to help fund the maintenance and upkeep of Tasmanian heritage buildings seems to be the latest addition to the State Government’s growing too-hard basket.
The idea was floated more than a year ago and received significant media and public comment.
But there seems to have been no progress made since. At last year’s Budget estimates hearings, Treasurer Michael Aird admitted:
“We have not considered a lottery. It was raised as an idea but it was not pursued with any great vigour, particularly by me.”
State Opposition Leader Will Hodgman said he believed new funding sources needed to be found to preserve, maintain, and showcase Tasmania’s rich cultural heritage.
The size of the task is beyond government alone but the issue is too important to be left languishing in the too-hard basket.
And the government’s $25 million Heritage and Urban Renewal Fund is obviously no solution either, following last week’s revelations that it is effectively a slush fund for the Labor Government and applications by the public for assistance cannot be made.
Mr Hodgman said he believed the public wanted to find a solution to the funding challenge confronting Tasmania’s unique cultural heritage assets.
“We will take action next week in Parliament to refer this matter to the Standing Committee on Community Development for consideration and a public inquiry,” he said.
Last month, the State Opposition visited Woolmers Estate at Longford. This Tasmanian heritage icon – up for World Heritage listing – isn’t even adequately funded for its needs, let alone lesser known heritage assets.
“What we need is leadership and vision from the government on this issue,” Mr Hodgman said.
“A lottery may be no panacea but it’s an idea worthy of serious discussion, particularly in the current economic climate when both public and private funds are less plentiful, and it is disappointing that the idea has not even been developed further.”
In WA, the profits from their State Lottery go on grants to a wide variety of not for profit community based projects, including extending the capacity of not for profit groups and valuing the State’s heritage.
Clearly Tasmania’s not for profit and community based groups could also benefit under a lottery proposal in this State.
“Our built heritage is a major reason many visitors come to Tasmania – it is therefore a huge contributor to our State’s economy.”
Mr Hodgman said the government’s complacency when it came to protecting and valuing our magnificent heritage could be seen in its review of the Historic Cultural Heritage Act 1995.
The review began in 2003 and the reforms that the government has been promising since 2005 still have not been introduced to Parliament.
In 2006, a Productivity Commission Inquiry on the Conservation of Australia’s Historic Heritage also concluded that all States – except Tasmania – had provisions for their local governments to establish a register of locally significant places.
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