过半数“幸免于难”!澳华人区文化遗迹保护区划分确认,华裔副市长力挽狂澜仍留遗憾(组图)
【今日澳洲12月11日电】(记者 南北)周二晚,悉尼莱德(Ryde)市政府召开临时市政会议,继续讨论文化遗迹保护区的规划议题。经过近7小时激辩,最终决定将原草案里6个居民区中的2.5个区域,划为文化遗迹保护区,另外3.5个居民区被豁免。
今日澳洲App记者获悉,早先位于Eastwood和Putney的3个保护区,以及Denistone的一部分区域,在会上被确认撤出,而Gladesville保护区和Denistone的大部分草案中区域,最终确认保留。
当地华裔居民在会上发言(图片来源:供图)
因事关最终决定,当晚有超过300名当地居民出席旁听,多达60名居民上台发言,时长超过3小时。大部分持反对意见的居民在发言中,都对住宅划入保护区后会严重贬值表示担忧,而支持者则希望维持现有街景,反对改建新房。
市长Jerome Laxale随后提出新动议,取消之前提案中提及的3.5个保护区,包括华人区Eastwood的两处。他称,之所以愿意妥协,基于部分议员代表居民意愿强烈反对。考虑到近期的民调数据,决定在推行保护区的同时,平衡居民利益。
Ryde市长Jerome Laxale
Trenton Brown和Sarkis Yedelian两位议员先后反对该动议。前者重申对保护文化遗迹的坚定态度,后者则认为2010年曾有类似事情,导致社区分裂。这两位均为自由党议员。
工党议员Bernard Purcell对动议表示支持,称这已经尽可能照顾到各方声音。工党议员Edwina Clifton表示,自己也是文化遗迹保护者。听取多方意见后,认为可通过折中的方式,尽可能让居民满意。
Ryde市文化遗产规划区域覆盖众多民宅 (图片来源:供稿)
副市长周硕在会上演讲,呼吁议员放下政治目的,和他一起努力通过仅有的三种解法来帮助居民:一、改变市长的想法;二、改变Trenton Brown议员的想法;三、通过折中的方式,尽可能的让更多区域被豁免列入议案。
他称,自己不像其他议员,不代表党派或团体利益,“从头到尾都站在反对文化遗迹居民的这边。
华裔副市长周硕(资料图)
他说,“政府投票是个数字游戏,超过半数票能赢,反之则输。”并指出由市长和Trenton Brown议员牵头的文化遗迹保护动议,“从一开始就已得到超过半数议员的票,可以让这个议案完整通过且绝不会放弃。”
周硕谴责“试图把议案推迟到明年的议员”,称其不顾居民利益,只希望把议案推到明年,用作地方议会选举时互相攻击的工具。
当地华裔居民在会上发言(图片来源:供图)
周硕在演讲中尖锐指出,“有几位议员试图利用这个有争议的事件把市长拉下马,假装反对市长的提案,却实际上跨党派暗中支持他,故意诱惑市长做出最错误的决定,故意让居民受到最大的伤害,从而达到他们之后带着受伤的居民来声讨市长的目的。而这个时候,对居民的伤害早已无法逆转。这种假装帮助居民的政客行径,最终会在大选中遭受人民的报复。”
Peter Kim和Chris Moujalli两位议员随后分别提出修改案,要求取消全部6个文化遗迹保护区,但最终均未能获过半数支持而未能通过。
早先曾有华人家宅被列为文化遗迹,引发社区对物业贬值的强烈担忧
最终,由市长提出的动议获通过,原定的6个文化遗迹保护区变为2.5个。周硕表示自己已经尽力说服市长,提出该妥协动议,但无法影响其他部分议员的意愿。
他对那些最终还是被划入文化遗迹保护区的居民表示歉意,称“一直希望可以为他们做更多”。
在此之前,针对当地文化遗迹保护区的讨论曾沸沸扬扬,众多当地居民对此表示反对,担心物业会因列入文化遗迹区域清单而贬值。在早先的市政会议期间,除了高声辩论,更曾一度爆发冲突,引来警方介入。
周硕副市长英文演讲全文如下:
Many of our councillors represent political parties or some action groups, but I am just an individual from the community, I have to be objective, and pick the better solution for our community, without being influenced by any side of politicians.
Local politics is a number’s game, if we get more than 50% of votes, we win, if get less than 50%, we lose, how simple is that! Based on my understanding, the pro-heritage side led by the Mayor and Clr Trenton Brown, has been heavily influenced by the Denistone action group, and collectively already got the winning number, and none of them is willing to give up, neither tonight nor in a few months’ time.
Most of the community, including myself know exactly why some politicians want to defer this vote. They want to make this debate an election issue so they can blame each other for letting our community down, even when they know the community will lose. If the councillors really care about the community, it should be tonight. Councillors, I am telling you now, it is already an election issue, because our people will remember what we did to them today, and they will punish the politicians who hurt them, used them, or pretended to help them.
Have you considered this?
The Mayor’s team care about heritage, councillors like me care about people! However, there some other councillors, their real agenda is not heritage, not community, but taking down the Mayor! Don’t misunderstand me, I challenge the Mayor too, but my motivation is always to push him to make the best decision for the community, but some of our councillors, are pushing the Mayor to make the worst decision, to make sure the community suffer the most, so they can bring down the Mayor and advance their own position.
(Show cartoon sign) I think this picture describes what’s going on here perfectly. A man holding a sign, watering a tree. The sign says, ‘We love trees!’ From a distance, it appears as if this thoughtful individual cares deeply for the needs of a growing tree by pouring life-giving water on it. However, upon closer inspection, we discover that the water is boiling hot.
If you are a true pro-community councillor, if you put aside your own political agenda, you should work with me tonight, there are only 3 ways out: 1. to change the Mayor’s mind, 2. to change Clr Trenton Brown’s mind, or 3. to mitigate the impact by saving as many houses as possible, and as many areas as possible from this unfair heritage proposal, based on the door to door survey.
Deferring this matter is not the solution. In fact, it will cause the community even more suffering.
I’m happy to sacrifice my political career to do what I know is right! How about you councillors? Will you be able to do the same?
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