Two Queensland Heritage Council members have declared conflicts of interest and will not vote on whether to add Margaret Street’s historic Bonded Stores Buildings to the Queensland Heritage Register.
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The Bonded Stores – a trio of century-old brick buildings - were built by early Brisbane shipping family the O’Reilly’s over three generations.
Environment Minister Andrew Powell and Queensland Premier Campbell Newman in February called a halt to Brisbane City Council-approved demolition of the buildings.
They asked the QHC to investigate new information on the three buildings to judge if they should be heritage-listed and protected.
The 12 members of the Queensland Heritage Council are chaired by Queensland University of Technology’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Peter Coaldrake.
Two QHC members, Ivan McDonald and Leanne O’Brien, have declared conflicts of interest with this application and will not join the April 16 vote on the decision, Mr Coaldrake said.
Mr McDonald is an experienced architect with a history in heritage buildings.
He a member of council’s heritage advisory committee and a former heritage advisor to Ipswich City Council and the Sunshine Coast Regional Council.
Mr McDonald was hired by the development company who propose building an apartment tower on the Margaret Street site to write a heritage report on the Bonded Stores Buildings.
His study found the buildings did not warrant listing on the Queensland Heritage Register.
Town planning lawyer Ms O’Brien is employed by council’s legal practice and has written a textbook on planning and environmental law in Queensland.
Mr Coaldrake said Ms O’Brien’s part-time employment at council - which approved the demolition in December 2013 - gave her a conflict of interest.
‘‘Mr McDonald and Ms O’Brien will not be replaced at the meeting,’’ he said.
‘‘The Act requires a quorum of six members to form the council. The remaining members in attendance will decide the matter.’’
The remaining 10 Queensland Heritage Council members are:
1: Chairman - Professor Peter Coaldrake AO is Vice-Chancellor of Queensland University of Technology (QUT).
2: Property lawyer, Marcus Ford - secretary of the Urban Development Institute of Australia in Queensland.
3: Bill Marklew from Townsville represents the Queensland Council of Unions.
4: Judith McKay is a consultant historian and museum curator. She is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society of Queensland.
5: Anthony Ross, from Mackay is director of the Queensland Canegrowers Association.
6: Glenda Sheaffe represents the National Trust of Queensland. She has been actively involved in the Queensland heritage community for more than 25 years.
7: John Cotter is a former president of AgForce Queensland and has extensive experience in regional and rural industry.
8: Stuart Lummis manages 3000 Queensland Catholic Archdiocese buildings, of which 76 are heritage-listed. He held senior roles within construction and development companies.
9: Fraser Coast Regional councillor George Seymour, represents the LGAQ. He is a volunteer solicitor with a community legal service and the president of Youthcare Hervey Bay, a youth homeless shelter.
10: Barry Merrick represents the Minerals Council of Australia and Xstrata Mount Isa Mines on three Australian Standards committees.
