Fiona Meier

2014 candidate for City of Onkaparinga.
Heritage survey responses.

1. What do you think Council's role is in protecting and conserving heritage?
   Council is an important partner in protecting and conversing heritage, along side State and Federal Government agencies, SA Heritage Council, and the National Trust. Council's employment of a Local History Officer, and support of local history events, SA's History Festival, provision and maintenance of e-resources, maintaining the Local Heritage Register, and supporting school programs, are just some of the ways Council can be involved in protecting and conserving heritage.

2. What measures and incentives do you support to protect and conserve local heritage?
   If elected to serve as a Councillor, I will endeavour to liaise with local history groups and the Local History officer to ascertain their key activities and priorities, and the appropriate measures and incentives that Council and/or its partners are able to provide.

3. What is the most important heritage protection issue in your local government area?
   The protection of native vegetation (be they remnant, corridors, or larger areas), urban trees and green spaces, and pro-active measures to protect threatened species.

4. What policies and programs will you advocate to protect and conserve heritage in your local area?
   I will review programs and policies on their merit as they are presented to Council, taking into consideration the reports presented by industry experts, such as the Local History Officer, Local History Committee, National Trust, SA Heritage Council, etc. I am less likely to support a policy or program that is single-issue-focused, and I am more likely to support policies and programs that involve the wider community and have long term benefit.

5. Do you support local Councils retaining development approval powers for projects over $3m in value?
   Council should always be involved in the development approval process. With regard to retaining approval powers for projects over $3million in value, I would seek input from other Councillors, Council staff, LGA, and Planning SA, regarding their recommendations and rationale, and consider the long term implications of any change(s) to development approval powers, and the impact on residents, businesses and visitors of the Onkaparinga Council area.

6. Do you have any other thoughts about the protection of heritage in your Council area?
   Councils will always face the challenge of balancing new development (built form) with existing development, attempting to ensure neighbouring sites are sympathetic to each other, retain existing character, and preserve the heritage value or history of an area. Discussing ideas and project proposals with Council Officers and other experts such as Heritage Architects, early in the concept design stage, can work through issues prior to lodging a formal development application. Ideally, the built form we are creating now will be worth preserving into the future!