Comment on proposal submitted to Sydney Harbour Federation Trust
By Michal K Tomaszewski, Architect
Published with permission
I attended last night’s meeting on site and commend the Facilitator Lady’s organisation of the event. I would like to point out that I am full of admiration of the work the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust has done on this and its other sites which we are so lucky to have as public space in this great city of Sydney. The work here to date is low key with minimal physical or visual impact on the environment while preserving its historical continuity.
I am strongly opposed to the trust contemplating to LEASE this last part of the Headland to a COMMERCIAL DEVELOPER whose primary object, quite legitimately, is its shareholders’ profit. While the lease legally can only be given for a maximum of 25 years. The DEVELOPER as well as we all know, the lease would be extended ad infinitum and the site lost to the public FOR EVER !!!!
While I am not a Heritage Expert and have no quarrel with the architects’ planning of this Aged Care Facility. The existing buildings on the site however, have little Architectural significance, their historical value is debatable and at any rate are planned by this DEVELOPER to be almost totally DEMOLISHED, certainly beyond recognition, and replaced by equally insignificant Architecture. This, however, is not the essence of my letter. At last night’s meeting the Trust’s representative made it clear that it is financially self sufficient and is not thinking of this development to generate extra funds. This being the case, WHY GIVE THE SITE AWAY ???
Why not LANDSCAPE THE SITE FOR PUBLIC’S PASSIVE RECREATION and demolish most of the buildings THAT CANNOT otherwise BE UTILISED? Secure and retain some walls for posterity as in Chowder Bay and Port Arthur and give the benefits of this magnificent Headland for countless generations to come. Surely such an outcome would be more in keeping with the Objects of the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust Act.