Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

The Minister for Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government has provided the following answer to the honourable senator’s question:

(a) The fountain features a timeline recording women’s suffrage milestones back to 1902. In 2012, the fountain was extended to commemorate the Hon Julia Gillard MP as the first female Australian Deputy Prime Minister (2007) and Prime Minister of Australia (2010) and Her Excellency, Ms Quentin Bryce AC CVO as the first woman to become the Australian Governor-General (2008).

(b) The National Capital Authority’s Director, Development Assessment and Heritage.

(c) No, an internal self assessment process was undertaken in accordance with the requirements for Commonwealth Heritage places under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).

(d) Yes.

(i) The reconstruction of the Old Parliament House Gardens as a whole was referred to the former Australian Heritage Commission for heritage assessment.

(ii) In 2004, Professor Ken Taylor AM Heritage and Landscape Planning Consultant conducted a heritage assessment on the mosaic fountain and timeline artwork.