Ms CARTER - 2000-06-14
What progress is occurring with regard to the Wesleyan Church in Knuckey Street?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, members would know that for many years the issue of preservation of the heritage merits of the former Wesleyan Church has been in dispute. I thank the member for Port Darwin for this question, and for work that she has done since being elected in trying to help resolve this issue. Today I am very pleased to announce that I have begun the process to preserve the heritage values of the former Wesleyan Church building. That is a process ...
Ms Martin interjecting.
Mr BALDWIN: The Leader of the Opposition may not think this is an important issue, but I certainly do. It affects many Territorians and it has been going on for a long time.
The process that I have begun today involves the revocation of the heritage listing of the site on the corner of Knuckey Street and Mitchell Street and also the relisting of the building as a heritage object. I make it very clear for Territorians listening to this – if they could hear over the Opposition Leader’s rude interruptions –that this building is not owned by the Northern Territory. It is a building owned by the Uniting Church of Australia and it is under lease to the AXA insurance group.
They should also realise that the former Wesleyan Church is a very valuable building in terms of heritage merit. It is the oldest church in the Northern Territory and the oldest building in the Northern Territory. It is of a unique design that does not exist anywhere else in Australia and unique construction techniques were used in it. It is also a building that has survived, obviously, many major cyclones and the bombing during World War II. Those were the reasons why we listed it in the first place, listed it. But as I said, there has been dispute for a very long time about how to preserve and maintain for future generations the merits of that building.
I have negotiated with the parties concerned, the Uniting Church and AXA as lessees of that block, to have the building relocated after the revocation process and relisted. That will provide a practical solution to a long-ongoing issue. The process involves rewriting ...
Ms Martin: But where are you going to put it? I would treasure it in my front garden.
Mr BALDWIN: Mr Speaker, some people may be interested in this answer.
Ms Martin: I am. Where are you going to move it to?
Mr SPEAKER: Order! I am sure the minister will get around to that if you would only wait a little while. Don’t be impatient.
Mr BALDWIN: Let me remind you of the statutory process. I have written this morning to my Heritage Advisory Council asking them to give an assessment of what I propose to do and recommendations to that effect. The intention is to relocate the building to the Botanic Gardens, and a site has been chosen. I have written to them with a map attached to show them where that site is. The estimated cost of that relocation will be in the order of $300 000, which will be borne in the majority by the government but also with contributions from the Uniting Church and from AXA. I expect that it will take at least three months for the HAC to consult with the community and provide me with their assessment.
This ends an issue that has been going on for a long time. The building will be preserved on the new site and restored, and its heritage merits maintained under legislative control. I suggest that it shows once again the bona fides of the Northern Territory government in preserving and maintaining the heritage values of our Territory society.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, members would know that for many years the issue of preservation of the heritage merits of the former Wesleyan Church has been in dispute. I thank the member for Port Darwin for this question, and for work that she has done since being elected in trying to help resolve this issue. Today I am very pleased to announce that I have begun the process to preserve the heritage values of the former Wesleyan Church building. That is a process ...
Ms Martin interjecting.
Mr BALDWIN: The Leader of the Opposition may not think this is an important issue, but I certainly do. It affects many Territorians and it has been going on for a long time.
The process that I have begun today involves the revocation of the heritage listing of the site on the corner of Knuckey Street and Mitchell Street and also the relisting of the building as a heritage object. I make it very clear for Territorians listening to this – if they could hear over the Opposition Leader’s rude interruptions –that this building is not owned by the Northern Territory. It is a building owned by the Uniting Church of Australia and it is under lease to the AXA insurance group.
They should also realise that the former Wesleyan Church is a very valuable building in terms of heritage merit. It is the oldest church in the Northern Territory and the oldest building in the Northern Territory. It is of a unique design that does not exist anywhere else in Australia and unique construction techniques were used in it. It is also a building that has survived, obviously, many major cyclones and the bombing during World War II. Those were the reasons why we listed it in the first place, listed it. But as I said, there has been dispute for a very long time about how to preserve and maintain for future generations the merits of that building.
I have negotiated with the parties concerned, the Uniting Church and AXA as lessees of that block, to have the building relocated after the revocation process and relisted. That will provide a practical solution to a long-ongoing issue. The process involves rewriting ...
Ms Martin: But where are you going to put it? I would treasure it in my front garden.
Mr BALDWIN: Mr Speaker, some people may be interested in this answer.
Ms Martin: I am. Where are you going to move it to?
Mr SPEAKER: Order! I am sure the minister will get around to that if you would only wait a little while. Don’t be impatient.
Mr BALDWIN: Let me remind you of the statutory process. I have written this morning to my Heritage Advisory Council asking them to give an assessment of what I propose to do and recommendations to that effect. The intention is to relocate the building to the Botanic Gardens, and a site has been chosen. I have written to them with a map attached to show them where that site is. The estimated cost of that relocation will be in the order of $300 000, which will be borne in the majority by the government but also with contributions from the Uniting Church and from AXA. I expect that it will take at least three months for the HAC to consult with the community and provide me with their assessment.
This ends an issue that has been going on for a long time. The building will be preserved on the new site and restored, and its heritage merits maintained under legislative control. I suggest that it shows once again the bona fides of the Northern Territory government in preserving and maintaining the heritage values of our Territory society.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016