HERITAGE listing for the Nautical Lady Tower has been knocked back by the Heritage Council.
The City of Busselton was notified by the heritage office on June 19 that while the place may have some cultural heritage significance, it did not meet the threshold of significance to Western Australia’s cultural heritage.
City of Busselton acting mayor Grant Henley said despite claims from residents who seek to retain the structure, the Nautical Lady was not iconic.
“Places like Busselton Jetty and Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse are steeped in history and are internationally recognised icons.”
Mr Henley said the tower was a concrete rendered fake lighthouse with aluminium window frames and was built in the early 1990s as an extension to the existing theme park.
“It doesn’t meet modern building codes,” he said.
“The extremely high cost associated with redevelopment means the tower has no real commercial value and when compared to what is planned for the central core area of the Busselton foreshore, the tower has very little social value."
Busselton resident and heritage specialist Lauretta Davies said age was irrelevant when assessing the cultural significance of a building.
“The Nautical Lady Tower is important to the community for social, cultural, educational and spiritual reasons which qualifies it for heritage listing,” she said.
“The fact the tower was built in the 1990s does not mean it cannot being heritage listed,” Ms Davies said.
