Mr RIOLI - 1995-05-24
I begin by reminding the minister that the historically-significant See Yup temple was destroyed because the government failed to place an interim heritage order on the building. Given the acknowledged heritage significance of the Wesleyan church building, and the fact that the place is being vandalised, will the minister use his ministerial authority to place an interim conservation order on the previous church and manse to protect them from any further damage while Cabinet considers the Darwin Central Area Heritage Master Plan?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, as I said in reply to a similar question yesterday, the future of the Wesleyan church building was discussed extensively in the consultants' documentation on the CBD heritage plan for the Northern Territory. That document, which has been circulated to my Cabinet colleagues, suggests 3 options as to what we might wish to do with the Wesleyan church building. Opinion is divided in the community ...
Mr Bailey: The way it is going, there will be nothing left by the time you make your minds up finally.
Mr COULTER: Do you want to answer the question? When you were shadow minister for conservation before ...
Mr Bailey: I wrote to you, and you said that you refused to do anything about it. That was 6 months ago, and I am still waiting for you to make a decision.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr COULTER: Don't kick him out.
Members interjecting.
Page 595
Mr COULTER: That was before the Leader of the Opposition took the shadow portfolio from you and flick passed it to the member for Arafura.
Those options are being discussed by Cabinet and a decision will be made on the Wesleyan church building in the near future. It is weeks away, and that is not a long time when you consider ...
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Mr COULTER: Did you ever have your motorbike fixed there when it was a motorbike shop?
Mr Bailey: Yes.
Mr COULTER: Did you mention to the motorbike fellow that he should get out of there and that he was vandalising the place with the oil spills and ...
Members interjecting.
Mr COULTER: You have contributed to the degradation of the Wesleyan church building by placing your motorbike in that holy place.
Mr Bailey: Rubbish!
Mr COULTER: There are many and diverse opinions about what should happen to the Wesleyan church building.
Members interjecting.
Mr COULTER: It is under consideration by Cabinet. Be patient and you will have an answer within weeks.
Page 596
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, as I said in reply to a similar question yesterday, the future of the Wesleyan church building was discussed extensively in the consultants' documentation on the CBD heritage plan for the Northern Territory. That document, which has been circulated to my Cabinet colleagues, suggests 3 options as to what we might wish to do with the Wesleyan church building. Opinion is divided in the community ...
Mr Bailey: The way it is going, there will be nothing left by the time you make your minds up finally.
Mr COULTER: Do you want to answer the question? When you were shadow minister for conservation before ...
Mr Bailey: I wrote to you, and you said that you refused to do anything about it. That was 6 months ago, and I am still waiting for you to make a decision.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr COULTER: Don't kick him out.
Members interjecting.
Page 595
Mr COULTER: That was before the Leader of the Opposition took the shadow portfolio from you and flick passed it to the member for Arafura.
Those options are being discussed by Cabinet and a decision will be made on the Wesleyan church building in the near future. It is weeks away, and that is not a long time when you consider ...
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Mr COULTER: Did you ever have your motorbike fixed there when it was a motorbike shop?
Mr Bailey: Yes.
Mr COULTER: Did you mention to the motorbike fellow that he should get out of there and that he was vandalising the place with the oil spills and ...
Members interjecting.
Mr COULTER: You have contributed to the degradation of the Wesleyan church building by placing your motorbike in that holy place.
Mr Bailey: Rubbish!
Mr COULTER: There are many and diverse opinions about what should happen to the Wesleyan church building.
Members interjecting.
Mr COULTER: It is under consideration by Cabinet. Be patient and you will have an answer within weeks.
Page 596
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016