Page 126 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 24 May 1989
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heart from that. But I would also like to point out, particularly in relation to some press articles that have appeared, that of course heritage has not been excluded from the standing committees of this Assembly. I would have thought it would take very little imagination on the part of any member of this Assembly, or of the media, to see that heritage could well be dealt with within the standing committee on planning, which has been established by this Assembly.
I would like to add that, if it is necessary, it is quite within the scope of this Assembly to create special committees on any matter on which we want to inquire more deeply or more specifically. If it is the wish of this Assembly to create a special committee to look at heritage matters and heritage legislation, then so be it. We have the power to do that, if that is the wish of the Assembly. It had been my intention that heritage and environment matters come within the general ambit of that planning committee, and I think that is quite an appropriate way for them to be dealt with.
MR STEFANIAK (3.47): I will be fairly brief. I rise to support principally the remarks made by my colleague Mr Humphries and also some of the remarks made by the Chief Minister, with perhaps just a couple of words of caution in relation to the proposed legislation.
Especially in a young city such as Canberra, as the Chief Minister and I know because we have lived here for quite some time and effectively grew up when there were such buildings as the Capitol theatre, although buildings might be very new in terms of some of the more historic monuments in the world, they become important as the years go by. In say, 100 years or 150 years there will be some very significant and very historical architectural structures and other sites in Canberra, which will be of great interest to generations then - and to future generations.
I look around at some famous monuments in the world which may not have been but for quirks of fate rather than heritage legislation. I am mindful of the very magnificent summer palace in Peking. No doubt people have seen photographs of the marble boat on the lake there, which is one of the main tourist attractions in China. That palace was a quirk of the late Dowager Empress of China who actually spent her naval appropriations on this fairytale summer palace rather than where they should have been spent at the time - on building up her navy.
Whilst I, being an ex-military man, do not agree with spending naval appropriations on things other than a navy, as it turned out it probably would not have made much difference if she had, and it left the world with a magnificent piece of Chinese architecture, and indeed Chinese heritage.
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