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Wednesday, August 21, 2013
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Wranglings over church By Boyd Robertson Mareeba Uniting Church’s council of elders have entered into negotiations with the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection (EHP) who want to enter the building into the Queensland Heritage Register. The elders are concerned that maintaining the church to Heritage conditions would be unaffordable. Built in 1960, the church is already showing its age, with warped timbers and a roof replacement already setting the church back thousands. Reverend Peter Blauw said the elders needed surety that the listing wouldn’t hamstring the church. “We have kept it to standards as much as we can but buildings like this aren’t designed to stand up forever – it does need some maintenance using the original materials from its construction and there would be a lot of costs involved,” Rev
Blauw said. “We do recognise that the building is unique but a church has to be able to move into the future.” The elders also plan to modernise features of the church such as adding a projector screen, moving the seats and installing air conditioning, but the building’s proposed listing would complicate those plans. Rev Blauw said the church has entered into negotiations with the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection (EHP) to find a solution that “everyone is happy with”. “Our initial reaction was that none of us wanted to have anything to do with this,” he said. “But we have decided to work with the government toward a solution that is amenable to both parties.” EHP heritage director Fiona Gardiner said that any major alterations to the church would have to have to be approved by the department, but alterations for “liturgical purposes” were allowed. “While most types of proposed changes to
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Queensland heritage places are regarded as development and need to be assessed by the department, some types of minor repair and maintenance work do not require approval,” she said. “Under the Queensland Heritage Act no development approval is required for work to the building that is for liturgical purposes.” The Express understands the rules covering alterations to the building will be determined in the negotiations. The Mareeba Uniting Church was nominated by EHP after being identified through a statewide heritage survey for buildings with historic architectural qualities. The church was constructed in 1960 by renowned Cairns architect Eddie Oribin, who has also designed churches in Innisfail, Babinda, Proserpine and Gordonvale. It has been selected by EHP for proposed entry into the Register as an example of the evolution of Methodist church design in Queensland after
World War II. The church is owned by the Uniting Church in Australia Property Trust, which has its Queensland offices based in Brisbane. Tablelands Regional Council offered no objection to the listing ahead at their August 15 meeting. “I’ve always said that it’s none of our business if the land owners are supportive of an entry into the Register or are opposed to it,” Acting Mayor Evan McGrath said. In 2007 the Church’s elders at the time objected to a similar request by EHP to enter the church into the Register. Council supported the church and objected as well, leading the application to be withdrawn. EHP have also applied to enter the Mareeba Shire Hall on the Register. Council has so far resisted the push by EHP, arguing that “Council is capable of managing and protecting the heritage values of the Mareeba Shire Hall without the need for the proposed entry into the Queensland Heritage Register.”
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