Australian Capital Territory
Heritage (Decision about Provisional Registration of the Blue Range Arboreta No.8 and No.9) Notice 2013
Notifiable Instrument NI2013—336
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 the 
Blue Range Arboreta No.8 and No.9) Notice 2013. 

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

3.	Notice of Decision
	Pursuant to Section 32 of the Heritage Act 2004 the ACT Heritage Council has decided not to provisionally register the Blue Range Arboreta No.8 and No.9 to the ACT Heritage Register.

Jennifer O’Connell
A/g Secretary (as delegate for)
ACT Heritage Council
        
25 July 2013

STATEMENT OF REASONS

DECISION NOT TO PROVISIONALLY REGISTER 
BLUE RANGE ARBORETA NO.8 AND NO.9
IN THE ACT HERITAGE REGISTER

Summary
Blue Range Arboreta no.8 and no.9 are nominated to the ACT Heritage Register. 

In January 2003 the arboreta were destroyed by bushfire.  

Following destruction, the integrity of the arboreta has been lost and insufficient evidence remains to meet any of the significance criteria of the Heritage Act 2004.

This Statement of Reasons provides an assessment of the Blue Range Arboreta no.8 and no.9 and finds that these places do not meet any of the criteria of the Heritage Act 2004. 

Background
In January 2003 the arboreta were destroyed by bushfire and insufficient evidence remains to meet the significance criteria of the Heritage Act 2004.

This Statement of Reasons provides an assessment of the Blue Range Arboreta no.8 and no.9 and finds that the arboreta do not meet any of the criteria of the Heritage Act 2004. 

At Meeting 56 on 25 July 2013 the Council decided that the arboreta are not eligible for provisional registration and this is reflected in the following Statement of Reasons.

Assessment
In assessing the nomination for Blue Range Arboreta no.8 and no.9, the Council considered:

•	The report by the ACT Heritage Unit titled ‘Background Information Blue Range Arboreta no 8 and no 9’, July 2013, containing photographs and information on history, description, condition and integrity; and
•	information provided by a site inspection in June 2013 by the ACT Heritage Unit.

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

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

The arboreta do not meet this criterion.

Criterion (b) it exhibits outstanding design or aesthetic qualities valued by the community or a cultural group

The arboreta do not meet this criterion.

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 practiced, is in danger of being lost or is of exceptional interest

The arboreta do not meet this criterion.

The Council recognises that prior to the 2003 fires the arboreta provided evidence of a distinctive land use and function that enabled scientific monitoring and research.  Following 2003 there is insufficient evidence and integrity for the arboreta to demonstrate this function or land use.

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

The arboreta do not meet this criterion.

The Council recognises that prior to 2003 the arboreta were valuable to students and others interested in arboriculture, forestry and horticulture however, there is no evidence that the current arboreta are highly valued by the community.

Criterion (e) it is significant to the ACT because of its importance as part of local Aboriginal tradition

The arboreta do not meet this criterion.

Criterion (f) it is a rare or unique example of its kind, or is rare or unique in its comparative intactness

The arboreta do not meet this criterion.

Criterion (g) it is a notable example of a kind of place or object and demonstrates the main characteristics of that kind.

The arboreta do not meet this criterion.

Criterion (h) it has strong or special associations with a person, group, event, development or cultural phase in local or national history

The arboreta do not meet this criterion.

The arboreta had a strong association with the Forestry Bureau and its successor the Forestry & Timber Bureau.  It is understood that early planting of the arboreta was undertaken by students of the Australian Forestry School, which was run by the Forestry Bureau until the school closed in 1965 and the Department of Forestry at the ANU began enrolling students.  Some plots in the arboreta are associated with important figures in the development of arboreta in the ACT; they include Lindsay Pryor, Andy Wood and Ken Eldridge. 

The Council recognises the strong association of the arboreta with the Forestry Bureau and its successor the Forestry & Timber Bureau, however due to their destruction by fire in January 2003, all original plantings, plots and formations have been destroyed.  The integrity of the places has been lost and insufficient evidence remains to meet the criterion of the ACT Heritage Act 2004.

Criterion (i) it is significant for understanding the evolution of natural landscapes, including significant geological features, landforms, biota or natural processes

The arboreta do not meet this criterion.    

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

The arboreta do not meet this criterion.

Prior to 2003 the arboreta were used as research sites for collecting botanical and chemical specimens and measuring tree growth.  They were considered excellent sites for teaching species recognition and enabled people to experience exotic forests and obtain an understanding of the growth habits of particular species.

Following their destruction in January 2003 by bushfire, insufficient evidence remains to enable meaningful research of the arboreta.

Criterion (k) for a place—it exhibits unusual richness, diversity or significant transitions of flora, fauna or natural landscapes and their elements

The arboreta do not meet this criterion.

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

The arboreta do not meet this criterion.
    
Conclusion

In January 2003 Blue Range Arboreta no.8 and no.9 were destroyed by bushfire.  

Following destruction their integrity has been lost and insufficient evidence remains to meet the significance criteria of the Heritage Act 2004.

This Statement of Reasons provides an assessment of Blue Range Arboreta no.8 and no.9 and finds that they do not meet any of the criteria of the Heritage Act 2004.