Kirsten Alexander

2014 candidate for City of Charles Sturt.
Heritage survey responses.

1. What do you think Council's role is in protecting and conserving heritage?
   I think Council has a very important role to play, to ensure that heritage items are properly identified and then protected (this includes Contributory Items in Historic Conservation Zones too!). I have seen too much heritage lost through lack of protection. Council has a responsibility to our future generations, and should use the planning processes to help protect and conserve heritage (although I must say that this is made quite difficult at times by the State Government changes to planning which make it more and more difficult for Councils to influence the outcome). The covert politicisation of Councils is not helping much either!

2. What measures and incentives do you support to protect and conserve local heritage?
   Retention of Local/State Heritage and Contributory Items and protection through DPA process (timely approval by the Minister assists this greatly). Stronger powers for the Minister or some other indepedent body to stop demolition of potential Heritage items at risk and ensure that they are properly assessed (eg Cheltenham Grandstand where we were told the Minister only had powers to de-list something, not to list it).

3. What is the most important heritage protection issue in your local government area?
   Retention of Contributory Items.

4. What policies and programs will you advocate to protect and conserve heritage in your local area?
   We have already introduced incentive programs for retention of heritage items and significant/regulated trees. I strongly advocate no change to the status of Heritage Items or Contributory Items in the Development Plan - I am concerned that this is being watered down. I have advocated within Council for a stricter application in practice of the existing Development Plan controls.

5. Do you support local Councils retaining development approval powers for projects over $3m in value?
   Yes - there is no justification for this change - the rhetoric about developments being delayed is not supported by the KPI data kept by our Council.

6. Do you have any other thoughts about the protection of heritage in your Council area?
   The process needs to have more local council and resident control and less regulation by the state in terms of getting heritage items protected.