Adriana Christopoulos

2014 candidate for City of Mitcham.
Heritage survey responses.

1. What do you think Council's role is in protecting and conserving heritage?
   I believe that the Councils role should be to recognised and preserved its rich history for the enjoyment of future generations. It is the role of the Council to raise awareness of heritage in local community and its Councils role to prepare and administer policies aimed at protecting its heritage.

2. What measures and incentives do you support to protect and conserve local heritage?
   I am in support of Councils having a focus on heritage and conservation, I support Councils assigning committees with the role to make recommendations to the Council regarding identifying heritage items, areas and places; to pursue nomination of heritage items, areas and places; To form policies for the conservation of heritage items, areas and places. Councils must continue to promote historically significant localities and items contributing to the character of the City and to develop strategies to implement heritage policies and to pursue heritage funding. This valuable committee structure is essential to ensure that the City's heritage is protected and conserved.

3. What is the most important heritage protection issue in your local government area?
   The Heritage Development Plan Amendment (Heritage DPA) enhances the protection for built heritage within the City in the Mitcham Development Plan. The Communities recommendations have been incorporated into the DPA, and I believe that this was which was granted ‘Interim Operation’ by the Minister for Planning to be effective from 13 February 2014. The release of the draft Heritage DPA for community consultation is an opportunity for the community to provide its input, with such strong community support it is vital for the Council to make sure that it reaches as many residents as possible. If Council is serious then it needs to strongly promote this opportunity to for locals to provide commentary for the Minister for Planning to make a final decision on the outcome of the Heritage DPA.

4. What policies and programs will you advocate to protect and conserve heritage in your local area?
   I believe that at all levels of government, policies and funding are inadequately delivering the potential benefits to the broader community of heritage conservation initiatives. It is important that more rigour is applied to the listing of heritage buildings and places and that adequate funding and resources are available to assist owners of important structures.

5. Do you support local Councils retaining development approval powers for projects over $3m in value?
   Yes I do. I believe that no Regional Development Assessment panel will ever be able to voice the local concerns and cultural flavours that distinctly make for unique communities. I believe that Councils should maintain the power to approve projects within their own council boundaries. I believe that a communities cultural and historical expression will be minimised or even lost if Councils are removed from approving developments process.

6. Do you have any other thoughts about the protection of heritage in your Council area?
   The City of Mitcham has a specific committee allocated to heritage and I believe that this shows that the Council has recognised that the community has taken its heritage very seriously. I would like to see this committee continue and even broaden its scope and be proactive with heritage concerns throughout all of Mitcham.