Sue Clearihan

2014 candidate for Adelaide City Council.
Heritage survey responses.

1. What do you think Council's role is in protecting and conserving heritage?
   Council fulfills a crucial role in protecting our cultural heritage and in particular the built form through the assessment and listing of protected buildings in the Development Plan. Past endorsement of heritage via voluntary listing of the City and State's heritage has failed to provide protection. Council must continue to work at convincing the State Government that there is significant cultural, economic and sustainable value in protecting what we have left while still providing ample land for new development, jobs etc.

2. What measures and incentives do you support to protect and conserve local heritage?
   Adelaide City Council's Heritage Incentive Scheme is the most significant and generous in the country and I support the continuation of this scheme in providing both assistance to property owners and promotion of our Council's heritage stock. The Expert Panel's report on the Planning Review suggests investigating tax concessions or similar for owners of heritage properties and I am very supportive of progressing further investigation into this strategy.

3. What is the most important heritage protection issue in your local government area?
   The current issue for the City of Adelaide is the State Government's willingness to rush through changes to Regulations to the Development Act, despite its current review nearing completion, yet it is dragging its feet on processing and listing a large number of currently at risk heritage and character buildings.

4. What policies and programs will you advocate to protect and conserve heritage in your local area?
   Council's Heritage Incentive Scheme has made a huge difference to the conservation and maintenance of this City's heritage stock and City character. As previously mentioned, voluntary listing has no place in heritage protection and instead must be based on independent assessment and community support.

5. Do you support local Councils retaining development approval powers for projects over $3m in value?
   There is no evidence to suggest Council's are underperforming in their role of Development Assessment. I fully support Council's retaining their development assessment function, adherence to the Development Plan policies and the return of certainty for developers, property owners and community - as opposed to ad-hoc, non contextual decision making.

6. Do you have any other thoughts about the protection of heritage in your Council area?
   No