Weatherill speaks with forked tongue on heritage
Feb 10, 2012
David Pisoni MP
Shadow Minister for Education
Shadow Minister for Employment, Training and Further Education
Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Development
Weatherill speaks with forked tongue on heritage
Premier Weatherill has again demonstrated that he is just like Mike Rann, this time on the issue of heritage.
After years of neglecting Port Adelaide’s iconic heritage, only the threat of a strong independent campaign in Saturday’s by-election has forced the Weatherill Government’s promise to:
“… involve the community and the council ... to make sure that we preserve some of the very strong heritage buildings ...” (Minister Conlon 31/10/11)
This promise should be taken by the residents of Port Adelaide as hollow, just like Labor’s 2006 promise to build the Port Road/South Road underpass, Member for Unley David Pisoni said.
“If Labor wins in Port Adelaide on Saturday, Mr Weatherill’s focus will once again shift back to marginal metropolitan seats,” Mr Pisoni said.
“Labor has never been serious about preserving South Australia’s heritage.
“This week’s quiet listing for sale of Parkside’s State Heritage Listed ‘Carramar House’ is a classic example.
“Federation built ‘Carramar House’ is one of SA’s few remaining examples of grand residential homes that once lined Greenhill Road and were such a feature of the area.
“’Carramar House’ is also significant because of its long association with James Hay Gosse, a member of Adelaide's business community who was knighted in 1947, managed G & R Wills and Co and was on the board of several major companies, including the Adelaide Steamship Company.*
“This grand house was considered ‘modern’ for its time and, significantly, its William Morris furnishings were later donated to the South Australian Museum.
“However, Labor is promoting the building’s sale as a development site, which will inevitably see the demolition of this iconic piece of South Australian history.
“If Mr Weatherill is serious about his so-called plan for quality living in South Australia, he must immediately honour the heritage status of ‘Carramar House’ and place conditions on its sale to ensure the building is not only preserved, but also restored.”
*G & R Wills was a merchant firm which played a significant role in the commercial development of South Australia. G & R Wills traded throughout Australia and opened a buying house in London in 1859.
Listing shown here: http://tinyurl.com/6qamhm5