The Friends of the Albert Hall is a national network for groups and individuals interested in the future of Canberra's historic Albert Hall.
June 23, 2009
Draft Amendment 53 WITHDRAWN
The National Capital Authority has announced the withdrawal of Draft Amendment 53-The Albert Hall Precinct. The Friends has released the following media statement, shown below, or you can link to it here.
Friends of the Albert Hall Inc.
PO Box 9453
DEAKIN ACT 2600
MEDIA RELEASE
Friends of the Albert Hall Inc warmly welcomes the news that the NCA has agreed to withdraw Draft Amendment 53 (DA53).
This is a great outcome for the thousands of people who signed a petition to the Federal Parliament in 2007 calling for DA53’s immediate withdrawal.
The Friends and many other like-minded community groups - including in particular the National Trust of Australia ACT, Walter Burley Griffin Society and Yarralumla Residents’ Association - have campaigned, on behalf of the Canberra community, since 2007 for this result. In this campaign, The Friends has been strongly supported by our members and other supporters, who include many dedicated individuals and community groups concerned about the future of Albert Hall and its Heritage Precinct.
We thank them all for their support and they share in this success.
It is also a great outcome for all Canberra residents for whom Albert Hall is an iconic and much-loved part of Canberra’s history and heritage and, as Canberra’s Town Hall, central to community, cultural and civic life in Canberra for over 80 years.
It is also a welcome outcome for the protection of the Albert Hall’s wider heritage precinct and a precious part of Canberra’s lake side environment.
The Friends welcomes the fact that the NCA has responded to community concerns in this way. We hope this signals the start of a new era for relations between the NCA and the Canberra community, with the NCA being prepared to listen to and hear widely expressed community views.
We also remind the NCA that, should there be any further proposal for planning in the precinct, the community must be regarded as key stakeholders in any such planning, and must be included at the earliest concept stage of any such planning.
The Friends will now be focusing our attention on the ACT Government’s Albert Hall Capital Works Reference Group which is over sighting repairs and maintenance on Albert Hall and the long overdue ACT Government’s Plan of Management for Albert Hall.
22 June 2009
Contact: Dr Lenore Coltheart, Vice President, Friends of the Albert Hall Inc: 0413 300 874
July 27, 2008
Release of Joint Committee Report into the NCA
The Report of the Joint Standing Committee on the National Capital and External Territories Inquiry into the role of the National Capital Authority, “The Way Forward”, was released on 16 July 2008 with 22 key recommendations and others expressed as views/proposals in the body of the document. (The Joint Commitee Report is available on their website: www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/ncet/natcapauth/report/fullreport.pdf.)
Most significantly for the Albert Hall Precinct, the Joint Committee agreed that DA53 should be withdrawn, expressed as follows: “Therefore the committee proposes that Draft Amendment 53, Albert Hall Precinct, not proceed and that proposed changes to traffic conditions south of the Lake on Commonwealth Avenue bridge also not proceed.” It is a great outcome for Albert Hall and it is a bipartisan Committee view. The Report now goes to Minister Debus for his decision. The Friends has called on Minister Debus to agree to the Joint Committee’s bipartisan view that DA53 not proceed and to announce that DA53 will be withdrawn.
Other useful elements in the Report include numerous references to the need for better consultation by the NCA with the community and ways this might be achieved, including a recommendation for a National Capital Consultative Council (NCCC) with community representation. The Committee has also recommended new heritage legislation to deal with gaps in heritage legislation on designated land and a new heritage advisory body to advise the NCA on heritage issues. Proposals made in The Friends, including for a reconstituted and merit-based NCA Board, better cooperation between Federal and ACT planning authorities, alignment of planning with land administration jurisdiction, better opportunities for community engagement in NCA planning processes, an appeal process for NCA decisions and better promotion of national heritage assets, including Albert Hall, have been addressed in the Report’s recommendations. The Friends will be looking for more detail and close community involvement in the development of key aspects of the Report, especially the proposed new NCCC.
Media release - Release of NCA Inquiry Report [pdf]
