Heritage – some things must be preserved
Tuesday, 21 October 2008 15:50
The Government’s back down on the Northbank project to build a string of high rise buildings over the Brisbane River and obscure our city’s most important heritage precinct from the Casino to the old Parliament House is a win for the overwhelming majority of Brisbane residents who want to see the very best of our heritage preserved.
The goal of preserving this vital heritage precinct from which Brisbane was born is one I have pursued from the beginning including articles in the Sunday Mail, interview on Brisbane radio 4BC and the mailing out to large numbers of residents and businesses.
While progress and development are an important part of Brisbane’s future sometimes we have to stop and ensure such progress does not constitute a backward step or compromise the liveability of our city.
Northbank was ill-conceived, partly because of its severe impact on the Brisbane River, the heritage precinct and in significant part because of already inadequate road, public transport and parking infrastructure to extend the Brisbane CBD into the Brisbane River adding in excess of 5,000 workers every day and associated traffic.
Perhaps the Government’s back-down from their previously stated determination to hand this Brisbane River site free to developer Multiplex is a reflection of the renewed competitiveness of Queensland State politics or perhaps if one wanted to be cynical one might think it reflected the impact of the current property and construction downturn and funding crisis on developers ambitious plans. Whatever the reason I think we should be pleased that it has delivered appropriate public policy outcome and I am very pleased to see the Brisbane River and Brisbane’s heritage protected from what was from the beginning a very poor decision.