Photo by: Anthony Chapman

 

Australian photographers are losing their rights to freedom of expression. And

it doesn‟t matter whether they are full-time professional, part-time or strictly

amateur, as every person who has a camera can be threatened with unjust

laws and regulations.

 "We must be the only country in the world where you could get a criminal

record for taking a picture of a rock," said Ken Duncan, the Chairman of Arts

Freedom Australia.

 "And because of this shameful situation, I am asking photographers and other

concerned citizens to protest against the undemocratic regulations which now

restrict film-making and photography in many of our public places," Mr

Duncan added. 

 To this end, Arts Freedom Australia (AFA) will hold a rally near

Campbells Cove on Sydney Harbour on Sunday, August 29th between

10am and 12 noon to reinforce its message.

 "We need to make the Australian public aware of this threat to our freedoms,"

Mr Duncan said. "Because I am sure that they will support our campaign."

 Founded in 2004, Arts Freedom Australia is an umbrella body representing

Australia‟s major photographic associations as well as many individual

photographers. AFA was formed because of an industry-wide concern about

government policies that were turning Australia into a land of "forbidden

horizons".   

 AFA has recently completed a comparative study of legislation and policies

imposed on photographers and film-makers within Australia, Canada, New

Zealand and the United States of America.  

 "The result of this study demonstrates that the rights of Australian

photographers and film-makers are being seriously affected by a myriad of

rules and regulations that impose prohibitive restrictions, high fees, and

bureaucratic application protocols," Mr Duncan said.

 "What we should have in this country are simple rules - like they have in

America‟s national parks - which allow photography to be carried out in all

places where the public can go." 

 Ken  Duncan began his career as a landscape photographer more than thirty

years ago at a time when access to beaches, national parks and other public

lands was not an issue.   

"I was very lucky that I began my photographic career at a time when there

were much greater freedoms than there are today," Mr Duncan said. 

 "But I want the young photographers of today and those who will succeed

them in the decades to come to enjoy those same freedoms that I once had."

 Mr Duncan cites the photographic restrictions at Uluru, the,photographic

licences‟ required in the national parks of New South Wales, Queensland and

Victoria, the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority Regulation 2006 and the

onerous Use of Public Open Space regulations of Sydney‟s Waverley Council

as attacks on freedom of expression. 

 "Australia has been a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and

Political Rights since 1980 and one of the articles of the ICCPR states that

everyone has the right to freedom of expression and the right to impart

information and ideas of all kinds whether it‟s in writing or in print, in the form

of art, or through any other media," Mr Duncan said.

 "However the bureaucrats who have drafted the new regulations restricting

photography have clearly forgotten that".

Mr Duncan said that landscape photographers such as Olegas Truchanas

and Peter Dombrovskis helped to instil a pro-conservation mindset amongst

Australia's  people, while other photographers such as Max Dupain had

produced iconic images that would be treasured for many decades to come. 

 But he said that unless the draconian laws that were currently in place were

not rolled back that all types of photography would be affected and that our

society as a whole would be diminished as a result. 

For more information call Stephanie Wilson on

(02) 4307 8402 or email swilson@kenduncan.com.

 

Author: ACMP