By the end of 2015 it will be ten years since the Boggo Road Gaol Museum was temporarily closed to allow for the excavation for the nearby Busway tunnel and the construction of the Ecoscience Precinct. The old prison was to remain shut off while redevelopment of the surrounding reserve was completed, and then it would be refurbished and reopened as a heritage site - hopefully by 2009.Obviously things fell behind schedule and the long-running political debacle surrounding the site has resulted in something of a lost decade for Boggo Road. Things could change significantly this year (I know I say this every year) but if things go as planned then the long-mooted refurbishment could actually begin and a full and proper reopening would follow. We shall see. As it stands, what are my hopes for Boggo Road in 2015?
Maximising Protection of Heritage Values
This is a thorny issue and there is a wide spectrum of opinion on the extent of acceptable physical changes to Boggo Road. The overall place is heritage listed, but it contains a mix of internal structures from different time periods and even sympathetic conservation reports have identified a number of areas (on an A-E grading) of lower heritage significance that could be demolished. These are the later (1970s/80s) additions, some of which are already falling apart.
The current plans by Calile Malouf Investments and Leighton Properties include irreversible changes, including the demolition of some of these 1980s structures. They might also involve internal changes to two cellblocks to enable other uses such as - for example - a restaurant. Nothing has been officially finalised yet and my current concern is that the profit-driven motive to commodify every square inch of floor space will further encroach on the heritage aspects of Boggo Road.
Personally, I accept the need for some changes but within limits. Use a cellblock as a restaurant? Yes. Knock out the ground floor cells to facilitate that? No. Others in the Boggo Road Gaol Historical Society are comfortable with far-reaching changes inside Boggo Road, while others want to see minimum change there. With nearly 300 members, this range of opinion has to be expected.
The important thing to remember is that the situation is still quite fluid. I was supportive of initial proposalsannounced last year that saw the negative impact of some structural alterations offset by the opening of much of Boggo Road as public space. However, some recent backtracking on the extent of that open space have changed the equation for me. Discussions are ongoing, and my early support for a specific proposal is not set in concrete if those proposals change.
The important thing to remember is that the situation is still quite fluid. I was supportive of initial proposalsannounced last year that saw the negative impact of some structural alterations offset by the opening of much of Boggo Road as public space. However, some recent backtracking on the extent of that open space have changed the equation for me. Discussions are ongoing, and my early support for a specific proposal is not set in concrete if those proposals change.
The big question for those opponents of any change at all is this - what is their alternative plan for running and financing Boggo Road? If it involves the state government stepping in to finance and maintain the place (my preferred option), you can forget it under a majority government in Queensland. Unfortunately no major heritage organisation has demonstrated a willingness to manage Boggo Road, so who would actually run the place under this new plan? If the opponents of change can come up with a sane, rational and viable plan then I’m on board, but there is no alternative plan yet. The reality is that the current plans have been in the making for over 10 years, millions of dollars have been spent, and those of us who have been continually involved with Boggo Road during all of that time recognise a need to be pragmatic and engage with that reality.
Of course, the potential banana skin for all this is that the plans will have to be approved by the Queensland Heritage Council.
Recognition of the Social Capital Potential of Boggo Road
The tendency of economic rationalism is to prioritise the dollar value of people, places and utilities, while the concept of ‘social capital’ also measures benefits to society over and beyond that narrow dollar value. Using the historic component of Boggo Road as a true community and artistic hub - which is what Malouf and Leightons are suggesting they want to do - would build dynamic social networks that enhance communities and benefit the Queensland public. It will also provide new opportunities for the practitioners of art, history and education who enrich our culture and would bring large numbers of regular visitors to the place.
It is important that the final plan recognises that such a hub requires real community involvement and cooperation, and not the kind of sociopathic monopolising of space for private profit that we have seen in the recent past. It is also crucial that the final plan provides plenty of space for meaningful involvement by history groups, and that includes the running of tours. The shameful exclusion of those groups by small business has been a major roadblock to peace at Boggo Road. The kind of business practices recently seen at Boggo Road will need to be eliminated if we are to see it become a harmonious creative venue for a wide range of community stakeholders.
A Change of Government Attitude
There is a state election due very soon. Hopefully the current government will be shocked into taking a more consultative approach on places like Boggo Road, or a new government brings in a fresh attitude to dealing with heritage and community groups.
What would this fresh attitude look like? It would include none of what we’ve had from the state Liberal-National government since 2012, including (take a deep breath): Secret meetings and backroom deals with business people about Boggo Road while excluding all non-profit groups; Broken promises from ministers about giving community groups fair access to run Boggo Road tours; Ignoring letters and petitions from community groups; Inadequate answers to questions raised in parliament about the backroom deals; Blocking ‘freedom of information’ requests made by reporters investigating those same deals; Ignoring independent reviews conducted at the expense of the site developers that recommended an immediate end to the private management system; A snap ‘expressions of interest’ for managing Boggo Road that was neither fair nor equitable and seemed designed merely to give under-fire public servants the fig leaf of having conducted some form of tender process; and turning a blind eye to the appalling behaviour and failings of the small business at Boggo Road.
When it comes to Boggo Road, this government has a clear record of broken promises and secrecy, and that needs to change. Then again, we must remember that it was the Beattie and Bligh state Labor governments that set us on this path of economic rationalism for Queensland heritage path prior to 2012 when they opted to shift responsibility for investing in Boggo Road (a public asset) onto the private sector. This small-government ideology ignores the hugely successful examples of government investment in heritage prisons in places such as Port Arthur, Fremantle and Melbourne.
Unfortunately we are well down that path now, so the best I can realistically hope for is that the state government treats community groups with genuine respect in future. Perhaps a hung parliament would help with this.
No More ‘Ghost Hunting’I’d also hope that the pathetic ‘ghost hunting’ nonsense currently being promoted in the very cells where people died well within living memory is once again banned by the state government. Ghost hunting is not History and it is not science. There are some decent people engaged in the field, but most of current ghost hunting is juvenile fad-driven play-acting which, at places like Boggo Road where people died in particularly tragic circumstances while in the employ or custody of the state government, is also incredibly offensive. That is why the state government banned ghost hunting at Boggo Road before backflipping and giving these shoddy people carte blanche to turn it into a haunted house sideshow.
Predictions?
I’m old enough to know not to make predictions. I can say that I don’t have much faith in most of the above happening, but discussions with decision-makers and consultants this year have given some hope. There is potentially a big role for the National Trust of Queensland at Boggo Road, but it does require energy, vision and community consultation to make that work. Does the National Trust leadership have these qualities? We shall see.
Can Leightons and Malouf Investments keep sight of the fact that this is first and foremost a heritage site? Will their plans bring peace to Boggo Road by accommodating the wishes of history groups? We shall see.
Will the Boggo Road Gaol Historical Society continue to push for the best realistic outcome for Boggo Road? Yes we will.
Here’s hoping that 2015 proves to be a truly historic year for Boggo Road - and for all the right reasons.
