Heritage and development are not natural enemies.

There is an appropriate balance we can strike to protect our past and progress our future.

We don't want or need to keep everything from one generation to the next. On the other hand, we don't want important heritage places to be compromised by intrusive development.

To underline that important heritage places should not be compromised by intrusive development, the Government will not allow the proposal for a hotel behind the Hyde Park Barracks to go ahead.

So it's not a question of heritage vs development but rather of finding the right equilibrium between the two, of integrating our aims to achieve the best outcomes.

Heritage and development can work together for everyone's benefit.

As we add to the State Heritage Register, there will be greater certainty for developers and community groups.

The register will inform us all about what is significant before development proposals are submitted and conflicts arise.

The community benefits when good adaptive re-use of heritage takes place.

Such developments have both the connection and beauty of the past and the convenience of the new.

Some of the best examples of adaptive re-use in Sydney include the Queen Victoria building, the Capitol Theatre extension and the old GPO building.

The Government will continue to promote the benefits of imaginative heritage and recycling projects.