Australian Capital Territory
Heritage (Decision about Provisional Registration of 51 Melbourne Avenue, Forrest) Notice 2008 (No 1)*
Notifiable Instrument NI2008— 71
made under the
Heritage Act 2004 s34 Notice of decision about Provisional Registration

1.	Name of instrument
This instrument is the Heritage (Decision about Provisional Registration of 51 Melbourne Avenue, Forrest;) Notice 2008 (No 1).

2.	Commencement
This instrument commences on the day after notification.

3.	Notice of Decision
Pursuant to Section 34 of the Heritage Act 2004 the ACT Heritage Council has decided not to provisionally register 51 Melbourne Avenue, Forrest.

…………………………….
Dr Michael Pearson
Chair ACT Heritage Council
GPO Box 158, Canberra ACT 2602

 6 March 2008

STATEMENT OF REASONS

DECISION REGARDING THE INCLUSION OF 51 MELBOURNE AVENUE (BLOCK 7, SECTION 2, FORREST) IN THE ACT HERITAGE REGISTER

Background
51 Melbourne Avenue (Block 7, Section 2, Forrest) was nominated for assessment pursuant to entry to the interim ACT Heritage Places Register.

Council did not accord a priority to the assessment, and it remained in the backlog of nominated places until it was assessed as part of the Nominated Interim Heritage Place Register (IHPR )Project in 2004-05.  The nomination has now been considered and at  Meeting on 6 March 2008 the ACT Heritage Council endorsed a Statement of Reasons  which does not find 51 Melbourne Avenue eligible for provisional registration (heritage listing).

Detailed reasoning of why 51 Melbourne Avenue, Forrest, does not meet the threshold for listing under the heritage criteria at s.10 of the Heritage Act 2004 is included under Assessment.  It should be noted that whilst this assessment does not find 51 Melbourne Avenue, Forrest, eligible for heritage listing, it is identified individually as contributing to the heritage significance of Blandfordia 4. 

Assessment
The Council’s assessment against the criteria specified in s.10 of the Heritage Act 2004 is as follows.

In assessing the nomination for the 51 Melbourne Avenue, Forrest, the Council considered:

•	The 2004-05 assessment as part of the Nominated IHPR Assessment Project (see attached).
•	Materials held on file by Council on the Assessment File: 04/15075

In relation to the place:

Criterion (a) it demonstrates a high degree of technical or creative achievement (or both), by showing qualities of innovation, discovery, invention or an exceptionally fine level of application of existing techniques or approaches
No claim was made against this criterion.

Heritage Council assessment:  
51 Melbourne Avenue, Forrest, does not meet the threshold for heritage listing under this criterion.

Criterion (b) it exhibits outstanding design or aesthetic qualities valued by the community or a cultural group
No claim was made against this criterion.

Heritage Council assessment:
51 Melbourne Avenue, Forrest, does not meet the threshold for heritage listing under this criterion.  Whilst the house is a well proportioned c1930 design in well maintained gardens.  These qualities make it a pleasant house but it does not exhibit outstanding design or aesthetic qualities.

Criterion (c) it is important as evidence of a distinctive way of life, taste, tradition, religion, land use, custom, process, design or function that is no longer practised, is in danger of being lost or is of exceptional interest
No claim was made against this criterion.

Heritage Council assessment:
51 Melbourne Avenue, Forrest, does not meet the threshold for heritage listing under this criterion.  The house does not demonstrate a distinct way of life other than as a representative example of a house of the 1930s.
Criterion (d) it is highly valued by the community or a cultural group for reasons of strong or special religious, spiritual, cultural, educational or social associations
No claim was made against this criterion.

Heritage Council assessment:  
51 Melbourne Avenue, Forrest, does not meet the threshold for heritage listing under this criterion.

Criterion (e) it is significant to the ACT because of its importance as part of local Aboriginal tradition
No claim was made against this criterion.

Heritage Council assessment:  
There is no evidence that 51 Melbourne Avenue, Forrest, is significant to the Aboriginal community.  51 Melbourne Avenue, Forrest, does not meet the threshold for heritage listing under this criterion.

Criterion (f) it is a rare or unique example of its kind, or is rare or unique in its comparative intactness
No claim was made against this criterion.

Heritage Council assessment:  
51 Melbourne Avenue, Forrest, does not meet the threshold for heritage listing under this criterion.

Criterion (g) it is a notable example of a kind of place or object and demonstrates the main characteristics of that kind
No claim was made against this criterion.

Heritage Council assessment:  
51 Melbourne Avenue, Forrest, does not meet the threshold for heritage listing under this criterion.  The place is a typical privately built residence of the 1930s but has been expanded and altered over its history. It is not a notable example of its class.

Criterion (h) it has strong or special associations with a person, group, event, development or cultural phase in local or national history
No claim was made against this criterion.

Heritage Council assessment:  
51 Melbourne Avenue, Forrest, does not meet the threshold for heritage listing under this criterion.  The place was designed for Kenneth Binns, Chief Librarian for the National Library and an important contributor to that institution, but this is insufficient reason for this place to meet this criterion.

Criterion (i) it is significant for understanding the evolution of natural landscapes, including significant geological features, landforms, biota or natural processes
No claim was made against this criterion.

Heritage Council assessment:  
	This criterion is not applicable.

Criterion (j) it has provided, or is likely to provide, information that will contribute significantly to a wider understanding of the natural or cultural history of the ACT because of its use or potential use as a research site or object, teaching site or object, type locality or benchmark site
No claim was made against this criterion.

Heritage Council assessment:  
51 Melbourne Avenue, Forrest, does not meet the threshold for heritage listing under this criterion.

Criterion (k) for a place—it exhibits unusual richness, diversity or significant transitions of flora, fauna or natural landscapes and their elements
No claim was made against this criterion.

Heritage Council assessment:  
This criterion is not applicable

Criterion (l) for a place—it is a significant ecological community, habitat or locality for any of the following:
(i) the life cycle of native species;
(ii) rare, threatened or uncommon species;
(iii) species at the limits of their natural range;
(iv) distinct occurrences of species
No claim was made against this criterion.

Heritage Council assessment:  
	This criterion is not applicable.

Conclusion
The ACT Heritage Council finds that 51 Melbourne Avenue, Forrest, is of insufficient heritage value to warrant provisional registration in the ACT Heritage Register.

Dr Michael Pearson (Chair)
ACT Heritage Council

6 March 2008