This is a sad day for all Australians who care about their history and about the environment.
The Headland Preservation Group is extremely troubled by today's decision by the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust and the federal Liberal government to approve the development of a residential aged care facility on the 10 Terminal site on public land in Headland Park, Middle Head.
The project will cost around $27 million, but the company behind the development (a company with no prior experience except a director's family link with owners of a company that used to run aged care homes in WA) could potentially raise hundreds of millions dollars in accommodation bonds.
Geoff Bailey, Executive Director of the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust, says that residential aged care is the best use for the community but, if other exclusive aged care homes nearby are anything to go by, a possible price tag of up to $2.5 million to secure a room is out of reach of most members of the community.
It is shocking that one of the conditions attached to the approval is “to protect the fabric of heritage listed buildings on the Ten Terminal Commonwealth Heritage listed site, the approval holder must not demolish the existing buildings, or parts thereof, except as indicated in DA104 (annexe D),” however DA104 in fact allows for the demolition of most of the buildings!
We will now be assessing legal options available to us, because we believe this decision is unlawful.