Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 2 Hansard (26 February) . . Page.. 472 ..

MR OSBORNE: My question is to the Minister for Arts and Heritage, Mr Humphries, and is about a topic that is very close to my heart, the Tuggeranong Schoolhouse in Chisholm, which you may have read about in today's Valley View. The Tuggeranong Schoolhouse was built in 1880, which makes it one of the oldest buildings in Canberra. Although the school closed in 1939, the buildings and two acres of land have since been available for lease. In fact, the last tenants left the property in the middle of last year, after a 10-year lease, in what can be described only as an advanced state of neglect. As you will be aware, Minister, a conservation and management plan was developed for this property in 1984. From what I can tell, its recommendations have never been followed. Mr Humphries, my question is quite simple. Is your Government interested in the preservation and restoration of this historic building so that it can once again be used by the public as a community facility? If so, how do you propose to go about this? Can you give an assurance that any resulting management plan will be adhered to?

MR HUMPHRIES: I thank Mr Osborne for his question. I think it is his maiden or inaugural question to me as Arts Minister, so I am pleased to be able to answer it. I do have in front of me a copy of the article in the Valley View of today. I have not visited the Tuggeranong Schoolhouse before, so Mr Osborne might like to take me down there and show me it at some stage. I can indicate that the schoolhouse came under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Arts and Heritage in October last year. In that time some things have happened, including the advice to a number of local residents and to the Tuggeranong Community Council that we intend to start a consultation process about the use of the building. A number of different uses are possible, including an activity centre, a health facility or a park including also a child-care centre. I am told that the grounds are being cleaned and urgent maintenance action has been undertaken. The buildings have been rewired already for electricity, and new plumbing is about to be installed. I am also told that the bureau has actually selected a tenant to occupy the building.

Members will be aware of the arrangement for the Tuggeranong Homestead. An article about the tenant there appeared, I think, in the Canberra Times a few days ago. We are proposing a similar arrangement for this tenant. I hope that, for this location, that will prove to be equally successful. I am told that the Tuggeranong Community Council is very happy with the work so far of the tenant at the homestead. I hope that they will be similarly happy with the work of the tenant we have selected for the schoolhouse. There will be a landscape master plan developed. We are reviewing in that process the conservation requirements identified in the 1984 report Mr Osborne referred to. There will be a call very soon, I understand, for expressions of interest from suitable people to take over the property and run it in accordance with the directions indicated by the community, although, of course, we need to see what the community wants before we can make that decision. I can assure members that we are very keen to see that the house is both restored and used for something appropriate in the context of the Tuggeranong community. I hope Mr Osborne and other members for Brindabella will contribute to that process.

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .