Patrick Secker (Barker, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

On behalf of the Joint Standing Committee on the National Capital and External Territories, I present the committee’s report entitled Inquiry into the Immigration Bridge proposal, together with the minutes of proceedings.

Ordered that the report be made a parliamentary paper.

Since its inception Canberra has been designed with the highest ideals in mind. Its design elements are unique and it is home to some of the most distinctive landscape design and architecture in the country. Canberra, as our national capital, is the chosen location to commemorate aspects of our democracy and history. The Immigration Bridge Australia proposal seeks to commemorate the contribution that migrants have made to Australia. The proposed 400-metre bridge will cross Lake Burley Griffin in the area of West Basin, linking the National Museum of Australia with the Parliamentary Zone at Lennox Gardens.

While the objective of recognising the contribution that migrants have made to Australia’s development is worthy, the proposal to build a bridge at this location has provoked concerns in parts of the community. In view of this, the committee was pleased to receive the reference from Minister Debus to inquire into the Immigration Bridge proposal. The committee had been made aware of the proposal through evidence in previous inquiries, and it was clear that there was some confusion within the community about the status of the proposal, the works approval process and the method adopted by the IBA to raise funds for the construction of the bridge. The confusion in the community has been exacerbated by the television advertising and sale of family plaques on the History Handrail of the proposed bridge, despite the actual design of the bridge not being available and a development application not yet having been submitted to the National Capital Authority.

This report traverses the history of the proposal from its roots in the vision by migrant workers in the Snowy Mountains to commemorate the contribution of migrants to Australia’s development, including the role the NCA has played over the years in supporting this proposal and the amendment that inserted the footbridge into the National Capital Plan. The report also details the final development approval process and required statutory consultation measures, including heritage assessment, that will ultimately determine whether or not the bridge proposal proceeds in its current form, in a different form, in a different location or not at all.

Not surprisingly, the bridge proposal raised passionate views for and against, but a uniting sentiment was that the national capital was the appropriate location for commemorating the contribution of migrants. The committee’s objective was never to adjudicate on whether the Immigration Bridge should proceed or not. The report provides clarity on how the proposal got to this point and what checks and balances are in place as the IBA moves towards making a development application to the National Capital Authority.

The committee received over 80 submissions, and there is now increased awareness of the consultation process as the IBA advances its proposal. The committee made three recommendations which, if implemented, will improve aspects of the process. First, the IBA, in improving its transparency and accountability, would clarify its refund policy and makes its financial documents available on the website. The committee also recommends that, if the proposal proceeds and the bridge is ceded to the Commonwealth, the government ensure that agreement to receive the bridge is met by increased government funding to the NCA to manage its ongoing maintenance. The final recommendation encourages the IBA to reconcile competing issues relating to lake users and the vista and heritage values of the lake and its foreshores. If the IBA finds that this challenge cannot be met, or its development application for the proposed bridge is unsuccessful, then the IBA should consider changing the location of the bridge or proposing an alternative memorial to migration.

In conclusion, I take this opportunity on behalf of the committee to thank all groups, organisations and individuals who contributed to the inquiry.

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