Brisbane, Queensland - In 2003,
the Queensland State Government performed a
world-first by heritage listing Lakeside International Raceway, but
last Friday the Planning and Environment Court ratified an agreement
between the Pine Rivers Shire Council and the Queensland Heritage Council. It
will ensure the removal of Lakeside International Raceway from the Heritage
Register by 31 October, 2005.
New Heritage Council Chair David Eades said Lakeside
has been removed from the register to "...allow [Pine Rivers Shire
Council] time to identify a suitable use for the raceway." He did not
address why the unique circuit suddenly no longer met the selection criteria set
out under the Heritage Act.
Lakeside Motor Racing Enthusiasts
(LMRE) president Ian Milton said,
"By going to the courts with this secret deal, this State
Government department has circumvented the public's
right to appeal under the Heritage Act, and has set a precedent which will
render Peter Beattie's legislation useless."
"From now on, an owner of a heritage listed property has
only to threaten the Heritage Council with an
expensive law suit and they'll cave in!"
In an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
media release Mr Eades claimed, "After extensive consideration and
independent external assessment, the Heritage Council concluded that while
Lakeside has heritage significance, it is primarily at a local level."
Mr Eades admission of Lakeside's cultural significance was
not surprising, however, he gave no explanation why he considered a facility
with over forty years history of conducting state, national and international
events could be "primarily at a local level" and how it negates all the
previously satisfied selection criteria.
LMRE president Ian Milton replied,
"This was an utter sell-out by
the Heritage Council because there wasn't any stakeholder consultation in the
development of this agreement, nor was any expert advice sought and he
obviously got his independent external assessment from his barber."
According to the Heritage Council, parts of the facility
are heritage-worthy and deserve protection, but only for 5 years, after which,
the heritage value magically ceases.
The PRSC's success in getting the Heritage Council to
protect its interests over of the public's
was confirmed by Mr Eades' statement that the agreement allows the local council
to "...find a new use for Lakeside International Raceway..."
Ian Milton responded,
"I didn't realise it was the Heritage Council's charter
to help the PRSC find a new use. My understanding
is their reason for existing is to protect the traditional one!"
The EPA and the PRSC have not yet released details of the
agreement to the public and it is still uncertain how the agreement will affect
the all-important zoning of the facility.
According to the EPA, the agreement gives the
PRSC until the end of February 2006 to seek expressions of interest, but
the Council is expected to move quickly to release an expressions of interest
document by 1 November, 2005.
Mr Milton said,
"Given there is no alternative
other than to accept the ruling by the Court, we hope that Mayor Yvonne
Chapman will honour her undertaking to LMRE, to ensure that motor racing will
be included in the proposed Expression of Interest document."
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