Martyn Evans – Willow Court Tasmania

Southern Tasmanian Councils Authority take on Willow Court.

November 19, 2014 No Comments

Mayor Martyn Evans reported on Willow Court’s progress to the Southern Tasmanian Council Authority in the June 2014 report, which is available on the Council website, (link below) It would appear that the Mayor will be working on policy issues relating to Willow Court with the CEO of the STCA and that the CEO will be the secondary spokesperson in relation to the ongoing progress of Willow Court. It is heartening to see that the STCA Board will actively support to redevelop and restore the remaining Willow Court site. It is unclear how that help will materialize with the information available, but we can only hope it will help in obtaining funds for future works.

Southern Tasmanian Councils Authority

Quarterly Report to Members

June 2014

Portfolio Positions item 11, Item 10.4 in full on DVC website

Portfolio position: Willow Court

Background:

Willow Court was established in New Norfolk in the early 1830’s. It is a historic precinct that offers the rare opportunity to embrace Tasmania’s convict history whilst also providing a fantastic community asset.

The Derwent Valley Council bought the entire site from the State Government when it was decommissioned as a psychiatric facility. Since that time some of the newer buildings have been sold and are currently under private development. But as an extremely old and historic site it is the Council’s view that it is important that some of the site, particularly the old Royal Derwent Reserve Buildings, remain in public hands.

There has been significant work undertaken on the site in the past few years. With tourism through attractions, festivals and events playing a bigger role in the State’s economy the redeveloped historic Willow Court site provides the opportunity to harness these sectors to deliver economic and cultural benefits.

The site is starting to return to its former glory, but a significant funding injection is still required to finish the project. Recently a number of Mayor’s and the STCA CEO visited the Willow Court site and saw first hand the ongoing development works taking place on the site.

Since 2012 the Willow Court Conservation Special Committee has undertaken works totaling over $2 million. The Committee now has fundraising goals, as well as plans to lobby government for further support to undertake the work on restoration of the heritage precinct. Funding in the order of $8 million is required to complete the site’s restoration.

Position and Actions:

The STCA supports the ongoing maintenance and development of the Willow Court site
The Board undertakes to actively support the project to redevelop and restore the remainder of the historic Willow Court site
Appoints Mayor Evans to work with the CEO on policy issues relating to Willow Court and to act as the secondary spokesperson on the issue
Appoints the Lord Mayor to act as the STCA spokesperson on Willow Court

Global, Local

Mayor protecting the Derwent Valley Image

September 3, 2014 No Comments

It is great to see the Mayor standing up for the image of New Norfolk and it’s people with this article from the Derwent Valley Gazette, we hope that this fastidious mind set will continue with the previous residents and staff from Willow Court.

A new promotion including a little bit of Willow Court.

Global, Local

Specialist to investigate tunnel in February 2015

July 29, 2014 2 Comments

Mayor Martyn Evans announces that there will be an investigation into the tunnel that runs between Willow Court and the Derwent River. The investigation will be conducted by Associate Professor Heather Burke who teaches a range of archaeology subjects at Flinders University in South Australia. Her expertise and teaching includes Australian Historical Archaeology and Heritage Management Planning.

Assoc Professor Heather Burke: Heather is an historical archaeologist with research interests in the archaeology of standing structures, social memory and the creation of cultural landscapes, as well as the public interpretation and presentation of heritage sites. She graduated with a PhD from UNE in 1996, and has worked on historical and indigenous archaeological sites throughout New South Wales, Queensland and the Northern Territory. Her PhD looked at the construction of social identity through style in architecture and the uses of the past in the present. Heather is currently a series editor for the Global Cultural Heritage Manuals series published by Springer, New York and editor of the national, peer reviewed journal.

Global, Local

Private tour for Premier Will Hodgeman

July 7, 2014 No Comments

New Norfolk News article

Last Friday the current Derwent Valley Council Mayor, Martyn Evans gave a personal tour of the council-owned section of the Willow Court historic site to the Premier Will Hodgeman. According to this article he also is seeking ongoing funding for the recently expired contact arrangements with the Senior Project Officer, Mr Brett Noble.

There still hasn’t been any announcement of opening dates and activities by the owner the Derwent Valley Council. Concern has been raised about the Council’s lack of expertise in running such a significant historic site such as Willow Court, especially considering the past 14 years of neglect and that the current budget is almost exhausted. The Council’s Manager recently announced that the site might be opened, then boarded up, due to a lack of funding. One could only foresee the ongoing vandalism that that would create.

Global, Local

No voice for previous patients from Mayor Martyn Evans

September 21, 2013 2 Comments

A conversation yesterday morning with a member of our team confirmed that the Derwent Valley Council, Mayor Martyn Evans will not be representing the ex-patients like Chas Canden when meeting with Premier Lara Giddings on October 2nd. In this divisive community move the Mayor will only be representing the ex-staff who had a choice about whether they worked in WC, but ignoring the rights of families and individuals who had no choice about their involvement with WC.

It is extremely disappointing that the Derwent Valley Council’s representative will ignore the rights of people who live or have lived in the Derwent Valley who have a disability. The Mayor’s ignorance on the issues around Willow Court has astonished many ex-staff members who advocated for the rights of the previous residents when they worked at the site.

It is acknowledged that the majority of staff operated to the highest ethical standards at all times and that an apology is not a slight on them. Some former patients who were not treated as well as they should have been, against the standards of the day, deserve some representation from their elected representative but it seems that this will not happen.

On another positive note Eric Hutchinson, Lyons newly elected Federal Government representative is meeting with Members of the Willow Court Tasmania Sites Of Conscience Advocacy Group.

This article has been censored from “Our New Norfolk” Facebook Group. Disappointed! Let the people decide for themselves.

Global, Local

Mayor to meet with Lara Giddings over “Apology”

September 18, 2013 No Comments

The Mayor of the Derwent Valley Council will meet with the Premier of Tasmania on October 2nd to further discuss the proposed apology to the previous Residents of Willow Court according to the September agenda of the Derwent Valley Council.

The Mayor, Martyn Evans is also a supporter of the insensitive Paranormal documentary about Willow Court which contains images of previous residents (without their permission) and is still on the agenda of the Council to deal with at it’s next meeting. This long waiting agenda item has had some issues according to Film Maker Aiden Sullivan “we have hit a few more legal speed humps in our efforts to release our documentary of willow court”.

Some Parents and ex-patients have also expressed concern about any release of a documentary containing and linking the suffering of people with mental health issues who were undergoing treatment and the hobby and past time of a small number of paranormal enthusiasts.

We are keen to have a position statement from the Mayor in regard to the previous Resident’s right to be represented by Council during the meeting with the Tasmanian Government, and the enthusiastic support of the Paranormal Documentary which was a joint Derwent Valley Council project with the film maker.

The Greens candidate recently wrote to this website and explained the apology in this way which we have found to be a wonderful explanation and extremely well written;

Support an apology. The Greens support and have been working towards a formal apology for those former patients who were not treated as well as they should have been against the standards of the day. We are cognisant of the feelings of former staff who assert that, to their knowledge, all patients were cared for in an appropriate manner, and feel that an apology is an accusation that their work in caring for residents was somehow inadequate. It needs to be acknowledged that the majority of staff operated to the highest ethical standards at all times and that an apology is not a slight on them. Our position is that an apology should occur as soon as possible, so that as many former patients as possible can be made aware of it.

Pip Brinklow,

The Greens House of Representatives candidate for Lyons

This was well explained, thank you Pip.

Global

Paranormal Documentary Privacy Issues

May 30, 2013 No Comments

“The Anti Discrimination Commissioner, Robin Banks was interviewed on ABC radio news
on Saturday regarding her concerns with the use of archival footage of
Residents of Royal Derwent Hospital being made public. While Commissioner Banks
acknowledged there was no evidence of discrimination in the documentary, the
use of the archival footage depicting young adults could breach the Personal
Information Protection principles. The Commissioner has referred the matter to
the Privacy Ombudsman who is in communication with the Councils lawyer on the
matter.”

“The Commissioners finding is the expected outcome of research and lobbying by
concerned community members who respect the privacy of individuals who lived at
Willow Court and their family members.”

This was a quote from an email sent to this website today. There are a number of concerned people and groups out there fighting for the rights of People who didn’t have a choice in appearing in this film.

The Lord Mayor Martyn Evans was quoted in the Derwent Valley Gazette (May 1st) as saying that “the Council had viewed the documentary three times and it had also been seen by State Archivist Ross Latham and Anti-Discrimination Commissioner Robin Banks. We can’t be accused of rushing anything through- this has all gone through the appropriate channels and processes”

While we agree that the processes should be followed we also have to acknowledge that these processes were not instigated by the Derwent Valley Council, instead they were raised by concerned Individuals, Parents and Advocates of the previous Residents. Council had approved this film without any of the due process including the Privacy Commissioner.

PS added 30/05/13

I spoke to a CEO of a disability service provider today who had been approached by the mother of an ex-patient of RDH and is concerned that her son will be in this film. At 84 years of age she shouldn’t have to go through this suffering for the benefit of some young person’s hobby. Why is this film maker so bent on presenting people with disabilities in such an unpleasant and insensitive way?