The Australian Institute of Architects has called on the federal environment minister Susan Ley to reject a redevelopment proposal for the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.
The Institute argues that the proposed demolition of the existing Anzac Hall designed by Denton Corker Marshall, completed in 2004, violates legislated heritage protections.
Former national president of the Institute Clare Cousins says the government should heed the advice of heritage experts, including the Australian Heritage Council.
“All of the heritage advice has been consistent in finding that the demolition of Anzac Hall will – unequivocally – have a significant negative impact on the Australian War Memorial’s heritage value,” she said.
“The strength and value of Australia’s legislated environmental and heritage protections would be undermined if such a violation of the Heritage Management Plan for this iconic site were permitted to proceed.”
The Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (DAWE) has released final documentation from the assessment of the redevelopment proposal under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.
The Institute is “deeply concerned” at the apparent “numerous inconsistencies and questionable assertions” contained in the documents.
DAWE asked the Memorial to undertake a ‘specific social heritage survey’ in February 2020 following widespread condemnation of the demolition plans.
“The Memorial has relied on the results of this survey to argue that there is ‘Broad support…for all elements of the Project including the replacement of Anzac Hall’. However, the copy of the survey included in the EPBC Act documentation appears to contain no specific questions about the demolition of Anzac Hall,” Cousins said.
More than 80 percent of the 167 submissions received were opposed to the replacement of Anzac Hall.
“The Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (DAWE), as custodian of our national environmental and heritage protection laws, has a responsibility to be a fair and independent arbiter in assessing the redevelopment proposal,” Cousins said.
“The strength and value of Australia’s legislated environmental and heritage protections would be undermined if such a violation of the Heritage Management Plan for this iconic site were permitted to proceed.
“In the face of widespread concern the Memorial’s executive seem to be just digging in their heels and reverse engineering consultation outcomes rather than taking on board legitimate concerns and amending their proposal, we urge the Minister to have the current EPBC referral withdrawn with instructions to pursue alternative solutions that meet both the current and future needs of the Memorial while also preserving its physical and social heritage values.”
A parliamentary committee is also looking into the redevelopment proposal in relation to its purpose and suitability, cost effectiveness and the amount of revenue it would generate. The committee received a record number of submissions, the majority of which oppose the project.
Source: Architecture - architectureau
