Editorial Principles

While exercise 1 acted more as an activity of "what not to do" in online journalism (note to self, telepathy, sailing boats in international waters and psychic manipulation are probably not the way of the future...obviously), several salient points did emerge from our active discussion of the pros and cons of interactive news sites.

Walking the line between the commercial demands, ie the need for sponsorship and funding in order to facilitate a reasonable journalistic skill and access to resources, while balancing and maintaining editorial independence is a difficult equation to judge. The demographic of the audience as well as the ethical paradigms inherent in the organisation must also be taken into consideration.

Another primary challenge we faced was attempting to balance entertainment with serious news, an element that talk back radio has had to mediate for years but an issue bloggers and online journalists are still endeavouring to conquer.

Evidently, celebrity news and light feature stories resonate well with an online audience, yet organisations need to maintain a respectable level of news coverage featuring reliable editorial comment on finance, politics and current affairs. The difficulty lies in making issues across this broad spectrum endearing to a variety of readers, by utilising and embracing audio and photographic journalism to supplement and help digest the written text.

Within my synopsis, the overarching theme of maintaining heritage buildings became apparent; perhaps a better approach would be to begin with the overall concept and then work down to the specific details of the Concord case study, as proposed. Evidently, there is great conflict in this story in terms of divergent approaches to maintaining heritage buildings yet unfortunately, there isn't likely to be any clean resolution over the time period of this feature.

Consequently, the speculation and discussion will have to centre around the morality, ethics and responsibility Sydney residents feel toward maintaining heritage buildings rather than a particular solution to this contextual problem. There are so many parties to be consulted- talking to them all and canvassing broad opinion by next way may be problematic; however, as we're working in pairs, the work load can be more practically distributed. The concept may need to be narrowed down a little more, however this will become apparent as the writing process unravels.

Taronga's Master Plan for the future

Conservation and Heritage seem to be the buzz words at Taronga Zoo in 2008.

No sooner have the gates to the new oceanic display opened than work is already underway for a new Elephant Conservation Breeding Facility in anticipation for a bouncing bundle of joy- the First Elephant Pregnancy in Australasia.

Taronga's four female Asian elephants participating in behavioural enrichment

The new facility will sit beside the historic Elephant Temple, another heritage joy which is currently being refitted as a permanent house for the maturing bull elephant Gung.

Apparently, as bull elephants move on in years, they break away from the herd and interact solely for mating… and as such, Gung will soon be in need of his very own bachelor pad.

Work is now underway for his own exhibit… with a heated barn, swimming pool, mud and sand pits… as well as an area for the other four girls, who’ll walk through the grounds and visit on a daily basis.

One of these elephants is expecting and keepers are thrilled, especially since the elephants’ arrival in Sydney was marred by such controversy and constant protest from environmental groups. In New South Wales, the Greens political party, especially politician Lee Rhiannon, campaigned persistently against the notion of keeping elephants in captivity; check out her blog for more details.

A female elephant enjoying the swimming pool at her new Taronga enclosure

Environmental activists in Thailand even blockaded the trucks taking the 5 elephants to the International Airport in June 2006.

Nevertheless, things seem to be going swimmingly at the zoo- you can download the elephant’s 12 month progress report online.

These new facilities will open the door to a host of new opportunities, allowing Taronga to pursue and implement an Asian elephant breeding program.

They are but a small part of the “MasterPlan” to rejuvenate the two zoos, kicked off by the Taronga Conservation Society in 2001.

Given the extent to which Sydney and the state economy is dependent upon tourism, development at Taronga Zoo is a matter of prime public interest. Residents and tourists will no doubt continue to enjoy the benefits of renovations for years to come!

Bringing back the heyday for Taronga's Aquarium

Even building Taronga’s new Great Oceans exhibit wasn’t a case of out with the old and in with the new.

Another task for the development team was incorporating the old-fashioned Aquarium entrance, which for many years has been shut off from the public, into the new, glitzy underwater world.

The restored facade of the old Taronga Aquarium

In its hey-day, Taronga’s old aquatic playground stretched from its brilliant façade mid-way down the property to the shark pools at the Lower Entrance. Stage 1, built back in 1927, featured three floors of exhibit tanks and a shark pool while the second added some colour with an abundance of tropical and freshwater fish as well as a seal and penguin pool.

Unfortunately, the structure quickly fell victim to internal rusting and soon became unstable. The upper section was closed off in 1992, the cumulative effect of changing occupational health and safety laws, the new Darling Harbour Aquarium and the need for more space.

Now, all that’s left is the Edwardian façade and the nearby Rustic Bridge, two heritage items which now form centerpieces of the new Great Southern Oceans display. A new blue, green and silver colour scheme has lent the Grotto entrance a new lease of life.

The Rustic bridge has been painstakingly restored to its former glory

Frankly, it’s very impressive. I just wonder why the upgrade didn’t happen sooner.

Toeing the line on zoo's heritage renovations

To balance its priorities with heritage-regulation compliance, Taronga Zoo has appointed its very own Specialist to deal exclusively with that Pandora’s Box.

An old-fashioned stone bench preserved at Taronga's new Oceans exhibit

Jannene Smith fills those very big shoes, advising everyone from development teams on all scales to maintenance staff, architects and horticulturalists.

Zoonooz journalist Judy Gibson describes her as the head honcho trying to “achieve a balance between the cultural heritage conservation, the requirements for the well-being and safety of the animals and their keepers and visitor expectations.”

An interesting job description but Jannene strips it down to this; “to demystify and bring a down-to-earth approach to projects and make heritage conservation less scary!”

In other words, it’s her job to mediate and keep everybody happy. Not a role I envy.

One of her recent projects was the Moore Park Aviary, constructed back in 1914 with pipe frames and wire mesh. Under her watchful eye, the Lower Entrance has also been refurbished and repainted in the creams, purple and gold hues of a new heritage colour-scheme. And she’s certainly done a good job.

It’s the little touches like these that really capture the true spirit of Taronga.

Heritage legislation shapes progress at Zoo

Despite drastic changes to central parts of Taronga zoo in the last two years or so, some things have stayed the same.

Pelican enjoying it's new docks themed exhibit

Heritage legislation in New South Wales has copped a fair amount of criticism in recent years for failing to protect some nostalgic items rich in community sentiment and for imposing stifling restrictions on others.

Obviously, striking a balance between preserving the past and embracing modernity is always going to be controversial. And I commend Taronga Zoo on that fact that while their recent spate of construction has radically altered the park’s appearance, they’ve certainly invested in preserving its heritage and maintaining that authenticity.

The site is a minefield of heritage objects. Actually, the whole property was listed in the NSW Department of Public Works S170 Heritage and Conservation Register in 1998. More than 200 individual items were catalogued- that seems absolutely incredible!

Under the Heritage Act 1977, state agencies like Taronga are required to assess and register items of heritage significance.

Furthermore, the Mosman Heritage Review singles the zoo out as a place of State Significance while other community groups like the National Trust, Art Deco Society and the Royal Australian Institute of Architects also celebrate its importance.

In other words, that’s a lot of people watching over your shoulder.

Spate of construction at Sydney's Zoo

When the zoo first relocated to Bradley’s Head from its property at Moore Park, it was the only institution of its kind in Sydney. Yet, as a regular visitor to the zoo over the last decade, it seemed to me as if Taronga had fallen into a bit of a rut.

Old seal enclosure before 2007 upgrade

There didn’t seem to be a lot of reconstruction- the exhibits and animals were constant but there didn’t seem to be anything ‘new’. The facilities rundown, disheveled and I have distinct memories of being terrorized by free-ranging peacocks at the small food outlets.

It was time for a change, but to my disappointment, for many years that change just didn’t come.

In the last four years, with the rise of serious competitors like the Sydney Aquarium and Wildlife World tucked conveniently into Darling Harbour, I suspect the zoo was haemorrhaging tourists at an alarming rate.

Why traipse a tour bus out to Mosman if you can get up close and personal with a kangaroo five minutes down the road from your hotel?

In the last two years, however, Taronga’s responded to the much needed wake-up call and made up some significant ground. I’d say they now hold the edge over their competitors with the revitalized Great Oceans section and another draw-card- 5 imported Asian elephants, one of whom has delighted keepers by falling pregnant.

A new enclosure was constructed solely for them and a section of the park re-themed as a taste of the Asian wilderness, completed with a brand new eatery and veranda overlooking the elephant exhibit.

They’ve introduced a new ‘Roar and Snore’ package where people can stay overnight at the zoo and participate in a range of exclusive tours- that’s been a big hit with tourists and locals alike, and it’s been my experience that you’ve got to book weeks in ahead, this is so popular!

As part of their ‘facelift’, some of Taronga’s heritage items have also been re-energised. It’s amazing what a lick of paint can do. But have they done enough to ensure their survival well into the next century?

Sorting out Taronga's Priorities

Taronga Zoo stands on ‘sacred ground’- 31 hectares of picture-perfect real estate that’s the envy of every developer. It’s commanded the spectacular harbour-side lot for nearly a century now and the park has seen more than its share of controversy.

Taronga's Giraffes enjoying the view of the Sydney Opera House

Chiefly, Taronga has two priorities- wildlife research and conservation are paramount, yet in order to fund these endeavours, the zoo has to keep the customer satisfied and operate as a successful tourist venture.

The trouble is that balancing these two priorities can sometimes be problematic. Caring for the animals evolving needs often means redeveloping land and old exhibits (an expensive exercise). Yet the zoo also has to upgrade facilities for its visitors- make sure the restaurants, cafes, shops and amenities are top notch to keep that steady flow of people (and cash).

It seems to be a simple equation- the more visitors, the more money there is to spend on Taronga’s conservation projects.

One of Taronga's Chimpanzees

But upgrading and redeveloping the zoo is hardly as easy as knocking down and rebuilding. There’s another underlying element of the zoo- its heritage architecture.

There’s more than a handful of heritage-listed items at Taronga Park (and much to my surprise, also the Western Plains campus)- from the actual layout of the site to building facades and animal enclosures, each accompanied by an exhaustive list of ‘dos and don’ts’.

So, how exactly does Taronga weigh up its heritage obligations under laws like the Heritage Act 1977 with its responsibility to both patrons and animals? It’s a tricky business, one that I plan to delve into further.