A National Heritage listing would not deliver the 21st century city that Canberra residents deserve according to the Property Council of Australia.

“Canberra’s property industry supports Chief Minister Andrew Barr’s opposition to heritage listing,” said the Property Council of Australia’s ACT Executive Director, Catherine Carter.

“The move would not provide any additional recognition or protection of heritage qualities or values above and beyond those enshrined in existing legislation and statutory planning documents.

“Heritage listing would impose potentially onerous and costly referral and approval requirements on development, and duplicate existing approval processes.

“At a time when governments are trying to reduce ‘green tape’, a heritage listing would add another layer of bureaucracy – and the additional costs would be worn by Canberrans.

“A National Heritage listing would also encourage NIMBYism – creating an additional avenue through which vexatious or frivolous objections to development could be made. The impact would increase the costs and reduce the viability of development,” Ms Carter adds.

The Property Council argues that such a decision could also impose further hurdles on property investment in the nation’s capital, leading to economic strangulation in certain parts of the local economy.

“While we can’t be sure what value heritage listing would offer the community, we can be certain it would impede development, and compromise our ability to create a vibrant, modern and liveable city for the people who call Canberra home,” Ms Carter concluded.