5 Jul 2012

Samoa ponders heritage protection

6:22 am on 5 July 2012

Samoa's Law Reform Commission is looking into setting up a National Heritage Board as a way to allow the public to voice their opinions on buildings they would like to see protected.

The commission is responding to a request from the prime minister to examine the appropriateness and feasibility of setting up such a board.

Recently, the demolition of the old Parliament house divided the country, as many Samoans felt it represented an integral part of Samoan's history.

Our correspondent, Autagavaia Tipi Autagavaia, says the Law Reform Commission says that while there are laws covering aspects of heritage protection, they don't go far enough.

"It looks like in those existing laws that we have, they don't have much power to stop the demolition or the removal of any heritage part of our culture, and part of the history of this country. And also to have that national heritage board to hold public discussions and to have the public to voice their opinions to that board."