Showing posts with label newcastle heritage. Show all posts
Showing posts with label newcastle heritage. Show all posts
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Newcastle Post Office - Get it back into Public Hands
In this Macquarie 2010 year our Federal State and Local representatives have an opportunity to restore Newcastle's iconic Post Office back to the people of Newcastle and region. It would make a fantastic welcome visitor centre and historic presentation space of Newcastle and the Region's historic accomplishments. As well as boutique shops. Under the custodianship of the Lockup Museum it and the RSL memorial will be assured of the ongoing care, restoration and respect that it deserves.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Newcastle Post Office - Our Queen Victoria Building
Newcastle Post Office is one of many heritage significant buildings in Newcastle CBD that have been the subject of development approval and subsequently left to rot by their owners.
Other examples include the Terminus Hotel-Castlemaine Bondstore group (Scott/Bolton Sts), former ES &A Drive-in Bank (Scott/Bolton Sts), Great Northern Hotel and Empire Hotel group (Hunter St west). Others have left to decay without approval, such as the Theatre Royal, Coutts Sailors Home complex and former Victoria Theatre.
While Council is often unfairly judged to be inadequate in its endeavours to protect and encourage sympathetic redevelopment of these buildings, we have little power to prevent such occurrences.
In reality the CBD has much of its building stock in the ownership of people and companies (often absentee landlords) who are content to see their buildings lie vacant and in decay.
Others seek and gain Council development approval, simply to on-sell to other speculators at a higher price. Newcastle CBD is an attractive target for property development industry “carpet baggers”.
In the case of Newcastle Post Office, the building should have been listed in the State Heritage Register before now, to recognise its high status and to be under the heritage planning controls of the State Government who (theoretically) have greater powers to act to protect the building.
I believe most of the community is in dismay and appalled at the willful neglect of and lack of action regarding this much-loved and favourite heritage icon.
NOTICE OF MOTION - FORMER NEWCASTLE POST OFFICE
A.
1. Council notes that the former Newcastle Post Office building is listed as “State significant” in schedule 6 (Heritage) of Newcastle Local Environmental Plan (LEP) and that the State government made a commitment to Council, about 2 years ago to urgently assess all of Newcastle LEP’s state significant heritage items for listing on the State Heritage Register.
2. Council calls on the NSW Heritage Council to urgently recommend to the Minister for Planning, the listing of the former Newcastle Post Office, 96-100 Hunter St, Newcastle, on the State Heritage Register, using s.32(2) of the NSW Heritage Act.
3. Council calls on the Minister, on receipt of any such request, to urgently direct the listing of the former Newcastle Post Office building on the State Heritage Register, and to direct the owners (using Division 5 of the Act) to take immediate steps to secure the building from further damage by vandalism.
B.
Council urgently write to the owners of the building to express its dissatisfaction on behalf of the community, about the lack of action with respect to any redevelopment of the building since approval was given in 2006; and our strong concerns about the continuing and accelerating degradation to the building’s fabric.
C.
Council regards it disgraceful that the owners’ have failed to implement a regime of high level security and maintenance; and failed to act to sympathetically adaptively recycle Newcastle Post Office which,
(i) is regarded by the community as one Newcastle’s heritage icons, and
(ii) has been empty since it was sold by the Commonwealth in 2002.
Other examples include the Terminus Hotel-Castlemaine Bondstore group (Scott/Bolton Sts), former ES &A Drive-in Bank (Scott/Bolton Sts), Great Northern Hotel and Empire Hotel group (Hunter St west). Others have left to decay without approval, such as the Theatre Royal, Coutts Sailors Home complex and former Victoria Theatre.
While Council is often unfairly judged to be inadequate in its endeavours to protect and encourage sympathetic redevelopment of these buildings, we have little power to prevent such occurrences.
In reality the CBD has much of its building stock in the ownership of people and companies (often absentee landlords) who are content to see their buildings lie vacant and in decay.
Others seek and gain Council development approval, simply to on-sell to other speculators at a higher price. Newcastle CBD is an attractive target for property development industry “carpet baggers”.
In the case of Newcastle Post Office, the building should have been listed in the State Heritage Register before now, to recognise its high status and to be under the heritage planning controls of the State Government who (theoretically) have greater powers to act to protect the building.
I believe most of the community is in dismay and appalled at the willful neglect of and lack of action regarding this much-loved and favourite heritage icon.
NOTICE OF MOTION - FORMER NEWCASTLE POST OFFICE
A.
1. Council notes that the former Newcastle Post Office building is listed as “State significant” in schedule 6 (Heritage) of Newcastle Local Environmental Plan (LEP) and that the State government made a commitment to Council, about 2 years ago to urgently assess all of Newcastle LEP’s state significant heritage items for listing on the State Heritage Register.
2. Council calls on the NSW Heritage Council to urgently recommend to the Minister for Planning, the listing of the former Newcastle Post Office, 96-100 Hunter St, Newcastle, on the State Heritage Register, using s.32(2) of the NSW Heritage Act.
3. Council calls on the Minister, on receipt of any such request, to urgently direct the listing of the former Newcastle Post Office building on the State Heritage Register, and to direct the owners (using Division 5 of the Act) to take immediate steps to secure the building from further damage by vandalism.
B.
Council urgently write to the owners of the building to express its dissatisfaction on behalf of the community, about the lack of action with respect to any redevelopment of the building since approval was given in 2006; and our strong concerns about the continuing and accelerating degradation to the building’s fabric.
C.
Council regards it disgraceful that the owners’ have failed to implement a regime of high level security and maintenance; and failed to act to sympathetically adaptively recycle Newcastle Post Office which,
(i) is regarded by the community as one Newcastle’s heritage icons, and
(ii) has been empty since it was sold by the Commonwealth in 2002.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Minister affirms Nobbys Lighthouse decision
I have today informed the applicants for a proposed development next to the historic Nobbys
Lighthouse in Newcastle of my decision not to allow this particular project because of the
impacts it would have on the heritage values of the lighthouse.
My decision is made under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act
1999 and follows wide consultation with the developers, business groups, heritage experts
and the community, as well as a visit to the site earlier this year.
I have given full and thorough consideration to all of the information I have received through
this process as well as the more than 450 written submissions made by the Newcastle
community during a recent public consultation period.
On balance, I believe this particular development proposal would significantly damage the
heritage values of this Newcastle icon and the oldest surviving lighthouse in New South
Wales.
Sensitive developments around historic places can and do draw thousands of tourists to
heritage sites around Australia.
However, it is important that any such development does not compromise what is so special
about these historic and iconic places.
My decision is therefore based on the concerns I have for this particular proposal to impact
on the heritage values of the lighthouse.
This decision does not mean there cannot be development of the site in the future.
I would like to thank all those who have contributed to this process and note that a common
theme of the public submissions on the proposal was the desire of the people of Newcastle
to have to access to Nobbys Lighthouse.
I support this sentiment but it is important in finding a way for the site to be more accessible
that we do not do it in a way that damages the precious historical and heritage values of the
lighthouse itself.
My Department will therefore be available to provide advice to ensure the heritage values of
the lighthouse are fully considered in any future application or proposal to improve access to
the site.
The Hon Peter Garrett MP
Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts
19 May 2008
Lighthouse in Newcastle of my decision not to allow this particular project because of the
impacts it would have on the heritage values of the lighthouse.
My decision is made under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act
1999 and follows wide consultation with the developers, business groups, heritage experts
and the community, as well as a visit to the site earlier this year.
I have given full and thorough consideration to all of the information I have received through
this process as well as the more than 450 written submissions made by the Newcastle
community during a recent public consultation period.
On balance, I believe this particular development proposal would significantly damage the
heritage values of this Newcastle icon and the oldest surviving lighthouse in New South
Wales.
Sensitive developments around historic places can and do draw thousands of tourists to
heritage sites around Australia.
However, it is important that any such development does not compromise what is so special
about these historic and iconic places.
My decision is therefore based on the concerns I have for this particular proposal to impact
on the heritage values of the lighthouse.
This decision does not mean there cannot be development of the site in the future.
I would like to thank all those who have contributed to this process and note that a common
theme of the public submissions on the proposal was the desire of the people of Newcastle
to have to access to Nobbys Lighthouse.
I support this sentiment but it is important in finding a way for the site to be more accessible
that we do not do it in a way that damages the precious historical and heritage values of the
lighthouse itself.
My Department will therefore be available to provide advice to ensure the heritage values of
the lighthouse are fully considered in any future application or proposal to improve access to
the site.
The Hon Peter Garrett MP
Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts
19 May 2008
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Merewether Surf House - It's History - if you want it?
This is arguably the most disgraceful example of heritage mismanagement and Machiavellian, behind the scenes anti-heritage manipulation by Newcastle City Council in recent history.
Since 1994 this building has been left to rot by Newcastle City Council, despite being listed in the Heritage schedule of its LEP (Local Environmental Plan).
The building has been described by Professor Steffen Lehmann, Chair of Architecture at Newcastle University as “an icon of surfing culture”. He also strongly supports its adaptive recycling with a state of the art addition.
Many local residents want the building removed because of its neglected appearance and because they don’t believe the building is basically structurally sound (which it is).
After years of neglect by Council, the NSW Heritage Office (HO) in 2003 took the (possibly unique) step of placing an interim heritage order (IHO) on a Council-owned building to assess its significance and protect it from its owner (Council). It was found to have less than State level but more than local level significance and the HO strongly recommended its conservation and that it be recycled for a new sympathetic use. They also offered assistance to consolidate the 3 parcels on which the building stood (Council, Crown and private-Merewether Estate) to assist Council to obtain a very long term lease (with a Heritage Council heritage agreement with any future lessee) to encourage developers to lease and refurbish the building.
The General Manager and Lord Mayor kept the offer to themselves until it was leaked to one of the Councillors about 9 months later. Subsequently Council & The Minister for Lands agreed to the proposal.
After the March 2007 State election the Minister and Council had a change of heart and agreed to offer a lease on the basis of either retain and recycle or demolish and rebuild. What developer would take up the heritage alternative if also offered a green field site?
While the matter isn’t finalised, EOIs to build a new privatised facility on prime public beachfront public land are being assessed after a biased Council process, (which almost ignored minimized heritage considerations) was put in place.
In all probability the “icon of surf culture” will be destroyed and a Taj Mahal, totally inappropriate private facility will be built on Merewether Beach Crown land, with the connivance of the majority of councillors, the new “Labor” member for Newcastle and management of Council and the NSW Lands Department.
It's never too late to love our history. We should ask ourselves why is there such an eagerness to demolish the Merewether Surf House built circa 1937, formerly a bathing pavilion in the art deco style.
Europe is full of ruins, people spend millions of dollars traveling half way around the world to see them.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Coal River Precinct Plan on Public Exhibition
Newcastle has a unique and interesting history of which we should all be aware. Newcastle's birthplace is the Coal River Precinct at the top of town.
The Coal River Precinct encompasses the landmarks of Nobbys, Macquarie Pier, Fort Scratchley (Signal Hill) and the Convict Lumber Yard that are fundamental to the understanding of the history of Newcastle.
Newcastle City Council is at present inviting comments on the draft Coal River Precinct Conservation and Cultural Tourism Management Plan (2.95Mb pdf).
The draft Plan provides a valuable overview and insight into the importance of the precinct and points to ways to enhance the contribution of the precinct to the development of Newcastle through its indigenous pre-history and European settlement.
The draft Plan is on exhibition for eight weeks from Monday, 7 April to Monday, 2 June 2008.
Written comments should be sent to:
The General Manager
Newcastle City Council
Attention: Barbara Heaton
PO Box 489, Newcastle NSW 2300 or email: mail@ncc.nsw.gov.au
Submissions should be received by 5.00pm on Monday, 2 June 2008.
For further enquiries please call the project Coordinator on 02 4974 2886.
The Newcastle Gerald is a proud supporter of Newcastle and the Region's heritage, and we urge you to write a submission and support this management plan.
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