Conservation Management Plans

The evolution of the Parliamentary Zone landscape over the last 70 years reflects our changing political and social values.

It is essential to understand the meaning and relevance of these changes in order to manage the landscape so that the ‘sense of place’ remains for future generations.

Conservation Management Plans have been prepared for Parkes Place and the Old Parliament House Gardens. Both of these places were developed in the 1920s. The layout of these places, their relationship to Old Parliament House and the selection of tree species all reflect the efforts of early builders to create scale, structure and sheltered spaces. The selection of the exotic evergreen and deciduous trees that establish these spaces arose from their understanding of the extremes of the climate, their familiarity with these species and, to some extent, experimentation with the planting of these species elsewhere on the ‘limestone plains’.

Because of their age, these plantings now present management problems that demand bold solutions.

In Parkes Place, the trees which divide the space into a series of formal axes and ‘rooms’ are in a state of decline. To replace individual trees as they decline would compromise the grandeur and character of the avenues, for the trees would soon be of widely differing ages and heights. The Conservation Management Plan nominates the spaces themselves and their character significant. To maintain the character of these tree-lined spaces it will be necessary to adopt a long term commitment to the progressive removal and replanting of complete rows of trees. This will temporarily change the appearance of Parkes Place but ensure it is well managed for future generations.

The Conservation Management Plan for the Old Parliament House Gardens recognises their significance as an extension of the building and as a recreation space for early generations of parliamentarians. Plans for the reconstruction of the gardens will preserve the original design intent and make the gardens more accessible and enjoyable for the public.

It is proposed that Conservation Management Plans be developed for other areas in the place of the people.

The first of these areas will be the National Gallery of Australia Sculpture Gardens. Although only partially completed, the Gardens are an outstanding example of the use of Australian native plants. These gardens are now 20 years old and the planting within them has been successful. However the faster growing species are short-lived and require a diligent maintenance regime to preserve the integrity of the original design.

The gardens of Parliament House and Federation Mall will be the next important areas requiring Conservation Management Plans. These landscape spaces also comprise predominantly native plants, and although fast growth species are desirable in some regards, they pose problems for long-term management. The intentions of the original designers will be recorded and plans developed to ensure appropriate objectives are set for long-term management of these areas.

Conservation Management Plans will guide the evolution of the place of the people with respectful acknowledgment of the heritage of the landscape.