ISSUES
- Immigration Bridge
 Immigration
Bridge Senate
Inquiry
A federal parliamentary inquiry is to be held into the
$30 million Immigration Bridge
proposed for Lake Burley Griffin. This is an as yet unapproved, privately funded
400m long, 6m wide, 12m high, solar panel roofed pedestrian bridge with between
4 and 12 pylons that will go between the National Museum and Lennox Gardens (near
Albert Hall). The concept of having a bridge was suggested by the NCA to a group
of people from Cooma who wanted to have some sort of memorial/celebration of the
contribution that immigration has made to Australia.
According to the
Canberra Times dated 27/2/2009 the committee will also "consider submissions
about another pedestrian bridge being mooted, this time in the ACT Government-commissioned
draft Weston Park masterplan"
The Senate Committee has invited
interested persons and organisations to make submissions addressing the terms
of reference by Friday 27 March 2009. The YRA has made a submission.
Further
details on the Committee's terms of reference, media releases, submissions and
more, can be seen on-line
There have been questions raised regarding the planning process, loss
of space, impact on lake use, safety, visual impact, lack of public consultation,
appropriateness of this type of recognition, heritage aspects, possible need for
taxpayer funding for cost overrun and more.
The Canberra Times has published
a number of articles, which can be found by searching on the web using the terms
"immigration bridge" "Canberra Times".
The contribution
that migrants to Australia since 1788 has made is considerable, and is worthy
of celebration in some form. There are many other ways of celebrating this, from
statues, to museums and much in between. The Australian
Immigration Wall at Darling Harbour is an existing example.
It has
been suggested that Immigration Bridge Australia, the proponents, have unnecessarily
tied the celebration of contribution of migrants to Australia to having a high
impact bridge.
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