The petition of the citizens of Queensland draws to the attention of the House our concerns at the proposal to redevelop an area between Queen Street and Elizabeth Street which will directly affect the historic Regent Theatre. While redevelopment plans claim to preserve heritage listed parts of the cinema - namely the foyer and staircase - the developers concede that the demolition of the rest will diminish the historical significance of these places and may endanger their actual fabric. In addition, the showcase cinema earmarked for demolition contains many important historical items from the original auditorium, which need to be preserved. The Elizabeth Street façade also needs to be preserved as it contains valuable elements of early 20th century architecture. There is a general trend in Brisbane toward the destruction of our heritage. This trend needs be recognised and halted. There is a strong case for a theatre in the city to cater for long-running and important cultural events. We believe the Regent Theatre should be restored to a 1500-2000 seat theatre venue. Your petitioners therefore request the House to oppose this proposed development work as it could compromise the heritage listed theatre, restore the Regent to a sizeable live theatre venue and to ensure that all historically important parts of the Regent be properly heritage listed and preserved for the future.