Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
INCLUSION IN THE COMMONWEALTH HERITAGE LIST
OF
WEST PORTAL CAFETERIA
I, Sussan Ley, Minister for the Environment, having considered in relation to the place and the Commonwealth Heritage values described in the Schedule of this instrument:
(a) the Australian Heritage Council's assessment whether the place meets any of the Commonwealth Heritage criteria; and
(b) the comments given to the Council under sections 341JF and 341JG of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999; and
being satisfied that the place described in the Schedule has the Commonwealth Heritage values specified in the Schedule, pursuant to section 341JI of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, include the place and the specified Commonwealth Heritage values in the Commonwealth Heritage List.
Dated
30 November 2020
Sussan Ley
Minister for the Environment
SCHEDULE
AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY
Australian Capital Territory
NAME: West Portal Cafeteria
BOUNDARY:
About 0.3ha, 44 Constitution Avenue Parkes ACT, located within Block 8 Section 3 Parkes. Being the area enclosed by a line connecting the following GDA94 MGA Zone 55 points consecutively: 694431mE 6092880mN, 694486mE 6092839mN, 694459mE 6092803mN, 694421mE 6092832mN.
| Criterion | Values |
| | |
(a) (b) (f) (f) | the place has significant heritage value because of the place's importance in the course, or pattern, of Australia's natural or cultural history. the place has significant heritage value because of the place's possession of uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of Australia's natural or cultural history. the place has significant heritage value because of the place's importance in demonstrating a high degree of creative or technical achievement at a particular period. the place has significant heritage value because of the place's importance in demonstrating a high degree of creative or technical achievement at a particular period. | The West Portal Cafeteria was constructed as part of the programme to facilitate and support the establishment of a Federal Public Service in Canberra. Built under the direction of the National Capital Development Commission, the West Portal Cafeteria represents the work undertaken in Canberra to develop Australia's national capital, as the West Portal Cafeteria is an example of provisions provided to support federal public service officers in relocating to Canberra to solidify the capital as the centre for government.
The West Portal Cafeteria also demonstrates aspects of the working life and conditions of public service officers in Australia in the 1960s. Government-funded cafeterias, including the West Portal Cafeteria, were provided for public service officers. The West Portal Cafeteria was one of at least eight services in the ACT in the 1970s, and part of a network of at least 74 services nation-wide until the provision of food services to public service officers ended in 1988.
The West Portal Building is also a link to a previous era of importance in the social history of Canberra. It represents a time when Canberra was rapidly changing in a renewed push to develop the National Capital under the Menzies government. The establishment of the federal government services in Canberra is significant for the way it solidified the city as the centre of government, and providing services such as cafeterias was a way of supporting this established environment for the public service to work in. The West Portal Cafeteria is a built reminder of the services provided to facilitate the public service working in Canberra.
These values are expressed through the West Portal Cafeteria building. The West Portal Cafeteria was designed to cater for public service officers working in the nearby government department buildings. It has important historic value for its association with the early development of Canberra as the location for the Australian Government administration in the 1960s. The provision of the cafeteria is also important because of its ability to demonstrate the work practices and conditions of the time.
The building is a rare free-standing design as most other Government cafeterias of the time were included inside office buildings. The West Portal Cafeteria was one of six free standing cafeterias built in the ACT during the 1960s, of which four were built for the purpose of providing for public service officers. As of May 2020, it is one of three remaining free-standing cafeterias left in Canberra, of which two were designed for public service officers, and is the most intact as per its original design.
Free standing cafeterias demonstrate an uncommon and no-longer-functioning period of Australian history when governments were investing in services for public servants, including significant construction projects, to help establish the importance of Canberra as a national capital. As one of the few public service cafeterias remaining in Canberra, the West Portal Cafeteria Building is in a position to stand as a testament to the development and social history relating to the transfer of public service officers from Melbourne to Canberra in the 1960s, and a period when the federal public service was being established in Canberra.
The West Portal Cafeteria also demonstrates high-quality design elements and materials which is rare in facilities designed for functioning cafeterias. The design intention for the West Portal Cafeteria was to provide a relaxing and separate environment to the nearby offices through the integration of natural landscaping which is an uncommon feature for work-related cafeterias.
Features expressing this value include the West Portal Cafeteria building and its free-standing design, the garden setting and the high-quality building materials including stone, timber and copper featured in both the exterior and the interior of the building. The West Portal Cafeteria displays a number of creative architectural design features and details, and is finished with quality materials which are significant due to their demonstration of a high degree of creative and technical achievement.
The West Portal Cafeteria demonstrates creative achievement with regard to its 'organic architecture' style, a style championed by the work of American architect Frank Lloyd Wright, which influenced the design of the cafeteria. The style is demonstrated by the materials used throughout the cafeteria, the use of natural lighting and the integration of the garden setting and lake views.
It also demonstrates the creative design achievements of the National Capital Development Commission (NCDC) during an important period of Canberra's development as the National Capital. The building demonstrates the high levels of excellence in relation to architectural design typical of the work of the NCDC during the 1960s, significant for the way it reveals the commitment by the NCDC to creating high quality spaces for the national capital.
The cafeteria building displays a number of distinctive and creative architectural features which demonstrate this achievement, including: its square in 'golden rectangle' pavilion form with encircling terrace and broad overhanging eaves as an extension of the internal ceiling finish; the horizontal character of the floor, ceiling and roof; the solid battered stone base and broad floating roof form sandwiching a continuous ribbon glass wall; the elegant roof form including the use of curves and angled elements, with a lantern/spire adding a contrasting vertical element; the dining room with its encircling windows, use of timber work, central coffered ceiling and skylight; andthe use of quality materials including stone, timber and copper.
The West Portal Cafeteria was in part designed to create a relaxing and separate space for public service officers in a location away from the adjoining offices. To create the relaxed atmosphere, the design of the West Portal Cafeteria capitalised on the view of Lake Burley Griffin and brought in landscaping to create a separate and enclosed garden setting.
The external and internal features used to create this relaxed and separate setting include: the raised platform to facilitate views of Lake Burley Griffin; the enclosed dining room with glazed façade; and the landscaped park-like setting and planter boxes.
The features listed above express the heritage value of the West Portal Cafeteria's high degree of creative and technical achievements. |
Overview
The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 was enacted to provide for the protection of the environment, particularly matters of national environmental significance, and the conservation of Australia's biodiversity. It was introduced to address the problem of environmental degradation and loss of biodiversity due to various human activities. The Act aims to achieve this through a range of measures, including the listing of places on the Commonwealth Heritage List, as demonstrated by the inclusion of the West Portal Cafeteria in the list. The policy objective of this Act is to ensure that the Commonwealth government takes appropriate action to protect and conserve the nation's environment and heritage. The inclusion of the West Portal Cafeteria in the Commonwealth Heritage List recognises its significant heritage values, including its importance in the course of Australia's natural and cultural history, its rarity as a free-standing cafeteria, and its demonstration of a high degree of creative and technical achievement.
The inclusion of the West Portal Cafeteria in the Commonwealth Heritage List was authorised by the Minister for the Environment, pursuant to section 341JI of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. The decision to include the cafeteria was based on the Australian Heritage Council's assessment of its heritage values and the comments received under sections 341JF and 341JG of the Act. The West Portal Cafeteria is significant for its association with the early development of Canberra as the location for the Australian Government administration in the 1960s, and its ability to demonstrate the work practices and conditions of the time. The cafeteria's free-standing design and integration of natural landscaping are rare features that provide insight into a period when governments were investing in services for public servants to help establish the importance of Canberra as a national capital. Additionally, the cafeteria demonstrates high-quality design elements and materials, showcasing a high degree of creative and technical achievement.
Scope and Application
The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 governs the inclusion of sites in the Commonwealth Heritage List, and in this instance, it applies to the West Portal Cafeteria located in the Australian Capital Territory. This Act is administered by the Commonwealth Minister for the Environment and applies to places deemed to have significant heritage value in relation to Australia's natural or cultural history. The Act encompasses a range of criteria, including the rarity of the place, its aesthetic qualities, and its potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of Australia's heritage. The geographic reach of the Act is national, with the Commonwealth Minister having the authority to include places in the Commonwealth Heritage List if they meet the specified criteria. The inclusion of the West Portal Cafeteria in the Commonwealth Heritage List follows an assessment by the Australian Heritage Council and consideration of public comments, confirming that the site possesses significant heritage values. The Act does not specify exclusions or exemptions for this particular inclusion, but generally, the Act allows for exceptions and approvals under certain conditions, which may be further defined through subordinate instruments. The listing of the West Portal Cafeteria under this Act recognises its importance in the context of Australia's national capital and its contribution to the understanding of the country's social and architectural history.
Key Provisions
The main operative sections of this legislation are sections 341JF, 341JG, and 341JI of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. Section 341JF requires the Australian Heritage Council to assess whether a place meets the criteria for inclusion on the Commonwealth Heritage List. Section 341JG allows for public comment on the Council's assessment. Section 341JI empowers the Minister for the Environment to include a place on the Commonwealth Heritage List if satisfied that the place meets the criteria and has the specified heritage values. In this case, the Minister has decided to include the West Portal Cafeteria in the Commonwealth Heritage List, based on the assessment and public comments.
The obligations and requirements imposed by this Act on the parties governed by it include providing the Australian Heritage Council with the opportunity to assess whether a place meets the criteria for inclusion on the Commonwealth Heritage List, allowing for public comment on the Council's assessment, and ensuring that the Minister for the Environment is satisfied that the place meets the criteria and has the specified heritage values before including it on the list. In the case of the West Portal Cafeteria, the Act requires the Minister to consider the Council's assessment and public comments, and to satisfy herself that the cafeteria meets the criteria and has the specified heritage values before including it on the list.
There are no explicit offences, penalties, or civil or criminal consequences for breach mentioned in this legislation. However, the Act provides a framework for the protection and conservation of places with heritage values, and failure to comply with the requirements of the Act could potentially result in legal action or other consequences. The maximum penalties for offences under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 can vary depending on the specific offence and jurisdiction, but can include fines of up to $210,000 for individuals and $1.05 million for bodies corporate, as well as imprisonment for up to five years in certain circumstances.