Labor councillor David Brown has raised concerns about forcing private developers to include public art in their plans if they want Wollongong City Council approval.
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At Monday night’s meeting, Cr Brown said this push could see the council “tie itself into knots in a policy area that is legally void”. He said the plan talked about having rules that forced developers of constructions with publicly accessible space and a value of over $10 million to have a public art requirement, but said the council mayhave trouble enforcing these rules.
“I would love to see a greater stock of public art in this city, but my concern is that [this] may not be legally sound,” he said.
He suggested the council have any new rules assessed by “a black belt planning lawyer” after the policy had been exhibited.
Councillors voted unanimously to place the policy on public exhibition between March 16 and April 15.
Responding to Cr Brown’s concerns, Greens councillor George Takacs said he did not think there would be any problem with requiring developers to include public art in their plans.
“I don’t see a requirement for developments above a certain amount being required to have a public obligation to be any different from a development having a landscaping obligation,” he said.
During the debate over the lengthy policy document, independent councillor Greg Petty said he thought the council should focus on “roads, rates and rubbish” rather than public art.
But Ann Martin said she would rather leave a legacy of public art.
“When I cark it, I don’t think my legacy is going to be having lots of roads, rates and rubbish, my legacy is going to be when I can point at the art works that this city has supported,” she said.
She also said requirements for developers to include public art would help Wollongong to be “creative and clever”.
“I think this city is getting a reputation for both its creativity and its cleverness,” she said.
Artist and Liberal councillor Leigh Colacino said the idea of having a “bureaucratic rationalisation of art … puts fear into every artistic bone in my body”.
However, he said the policy was proof that the council recognised the importance of public art.
“This is exciting to me because an establishment has recognised just how important art is to our cultural diversity,” he said.
The policy will be on exhibition through the council’s website.
