Mark Antony Higginbottom

2014 candidate for City of Tea Tree Gully.
Heritage survey responses.

1. What do you think Council's role is in protecting and conserving heritage?
   Fundamental Responsibility of the council is to represent the views of the electorate. If the electorate believe protecting heritage then council must support this. As each electorate may vary the outcome in different areas may as a result vary. To balance this there needs to be some mandatory expectation to protect baseline for the broader community so some state based and national code should exist.

2. What measures and incentives do you support to protect and conserve local heritage?
   It the community, represented by the council, state and federal governments believe protecting heritage is important then the cost and burden must be shared. Individual landowners should not be penalised for ownerships of properties which are "declared important" during a period of continued ownership. If this occurs that land owner should be supported to maintain the heritage. People who buy property already "declared important" may receive less support as they have the option not to buy if the burden or responsibility is to great.

3. What is the most important heritage protection issue in your local government area?
   Balanced representation of the view of the electorate. That is, not representing one perspective over another without appropriate recognition and support for the impact of any decisions.

4. What policies and programs will you advocate to protect and conserve heritage in your local area?
   I would advocate for any which are representative of the community view, whilst at the same time not burdening the responsibility on individual landowners without any recognition of the financial or non financial pressures decisions will impart.

5. Do you support local Councils retaining development approval powers for projects over $3m in value?
   Yes. So long as the appropriate frame works exists which represent state and national interests this is appropriate.

6. Do you have any other thoughts about the protection of heritage in your Council area?
   My personal view is that our heritage should be preserved. The nature of determining what is or is not "heritage" is however not clear enough and the goal posts need to be set through community forum which embraces the broader community view and not just the view of those who are in a position to be vocal. However, as a representative in council I also acknowledge that any personal view I hold should be mostly irrelevant as my role will be to represent the broader views of the community. Protecting heritage is a national, state and local responsibility and a cost the entire community must be willing to share if the wider community wants it.