CHRONOLOGY OF THE PROPOSED WORLD WAR I AND WORLD WAR II MEMORIALS

Sources: www.mdc.org.au, www.dva.gov.au, Beaconhill 'Stakeholder Workshop' documents,

Mike Buick (17.8.10 meeting), Canberra Times and NCA Annual Reports 2006-2010

2005 Memorial(s) Development Committee established

2005-2007 'Support sought from Australian Government'

1 March 2007 Canberra National Memorials Committee briefed by MDC and gives approval

4 April 2007 Annabelle Pegrum of NCA issues letter of approval to MDC and reserves the Rond Terraces site until 30 June 2010.

[About this time MDC obtained $250,000 tax deductible from Department of Veterans Affairs to proceed to a design competition]

15 August 2007 WIN TV News report of joint statement by Minister for Veterans Affairs, Billson, and Minister for Local Government and the Capital Territory, Jim Lloyd, announcing 'two new military monuments for Anzac Parade on the Lake foreshores.'

4 February 2008 Letter from MDC to David Headon of NCA confirming text of a 'Cultural Statement' for the design competition documents and referring to NCA's Guidelines for National Memorials and The Symbolic Role of the National Capital (Headon, NCA, 2003)

15.2.08 'In brief' report of forthcoming announcement by Governor-General Michael Jeffrey

18.2.08 G-G Michael Jeffery announces 'twin long overdue memorials dedicated to World Wars I and II' after launching a design competition in Parliament House.

April 2008 The Competition Jury 'conducts a site inspection to investigate the potential heritage and site impacts of the project.' [the membership of this jury is unknown although Neil Hobbs seemed to be one at the Stakeholders Workshop]

August 2008 Selection of winning entry and 'recommendation submitted to CNMC'

19 December 2008 As the Chair of CNMC, Minister Bob Debus sends letter of approval to MDC for the project, the site and the design character

26 February 2009 PM Rudd announces design and competition winner

27 February 2009 ABC TV Stateline includes an MDC segment on the WW I and II memorials

1.3.2009 Jessica Wright Canberra Times article describing the winning Kirk design

February-April 2009 Avalanche of letters to Canberra Times expressing unanimous disapproval

13 May 2010 Minister Brendan O'Connor thanking MDC for progress report to CNMC meeting of 15 March 2010 and extending the site reservation to 31 December 2013.

August 2010 MDC through Beaconhill commences 'stakeholder consultations.'

2 February 2011 The formal release of this website occurred at St John's Church, Reid, at 11am. See the pictures and some of what was said.

23 March 2011 A public meeting will be held at Albert Hall at 7:30pm to allow people to speak for and against the proposal

Future Steps

As described in Beaconfield's Stakeholders Workshop papers:-

• Review of issues by MDC

• Review by NCA

• Design resolution

In 2011

• Heritage impact study

• Communication of project purpose and design as further developed

• Public consultation

• Possible submission under the EPBC Act 1999 heritage provisions

• Works approval application to NCA.

[There is no mention in any of the MDC or Beaconfield papers of scrutiny by Parliament or by the Joint Standing Committee on the National Capital and External Territories]

NCA Annual Reports:

2006-2007 'The Secretariat function for the Canberra National Memorials Committee is provided by the NCA. The Committee met once and approved the Araturk Memorial, Boer War Memorial, Peacekeeping Memorial and World War I and World War II memorials.' (page 7)

2007-2008 CNMC met twice. On 16.8.07 the Committee approved the 'design intent documentation' for the Peacekeeping Memorial and WW I and WWII Memorials design competitions. On 19.5.08 the Committee:

1. provided comments on the short-listed designs from those competitions and

2. commented on the NCA's revised Guidelines for Commemorative Works.

2008-2009 'The NCA provided advice and guidance to help the Memorials Development Committee develop the competition-winning design for the national World War I and World War II memorials. The Prime Minister announced the winning entry on 26 February 2009.'

2009-2010 'The NCA is providing advice and guidance to help the Memorials Development Committee progress the competition-winning design. Completion of the memorial is scheduled to coincide with the one-hundredth anniversary of the Gallipoli landings.'

!7 November 2010 NCA advised the JSCNCET at their half-year briefing that the NCA has not been involved in the memorials approvals process. The decisions have been by the NCMC 'chaired by the Prime Minister ' the highest level of our elected representatives.' Moreover, NCA advised JSCNCET that NCA deferred to the Environment Department Heritage Branch for the past and any further heritage assessments of the memorials. With respect to any expressions of public opinion regarding the memorials, the NCA Chief Executive said he did not believe it was feasible or necessary to gauge or evaluate public opinion, say within the membership of RSL organisations.

Chronology compiled by Brett Odgers, 24.11.2010