Save Kyogle Heritage & Art Deco Home

damienpaull — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 19:59:16 CDT

This is the wonderful circa 1930 building that has been approved

for demolition by Kyogle Shire Council on 23rd June 2008. Ritchies IGA, a large Victorian company have been approved to build a large supermarket which they say requires the demolition of a building that (Heritage Consultants) Godden Mackay said was:
'one of Kyogle's best'.

The building was clearly identified as being of local heritage significance
and the report, ( called the Kyogle Heritage Study) recommended individual heritage listing of this main street icon, at 27-31 Summerland Way, Kyogle. NSW.

The "Kyogle Heritage Report" was given to Kyogle Council in 1997. Three years later, in 2000, Council adopted the study as 'policy', but took no steps to ensure that the heritage buildings or sites were protected in any formal way.

A period of over 10 years has elapsed and Kyogle Council have still not taken any action to protect the identified Heritage buildings and sites within it's control.
This meant that there was no impediment to Ritchies IGA (from Victoria) and it's developer AusDevelopments (from Gold Coast) claiming they had no option but to demolish a significant local heritage building, without any engineering evidence.

The real reason they need to demolish the building is to ensure they can build an entrance to the carpark at the necessary level, at a minimal cost.

The complex could easily be redesigned with the loss of only 2 carspaces to incorporate a better entrance / exit position, and retain and reinvigorate our wonderful building.

The Developer used several reasons for the demolition including:
* the mere presence of stained glass windows being dangerous,
* the presence of some painted fibro meant renovation and reintegration was impossible,
* the old building floorspace overlaps the proposed supermarket floorplan

ALL THESE CLAIMS WERE FALSE !!!!

HOW YOU CAN HELP!!!

Sign our 'e petition' at: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/savekyogleheritage/

Write to Ritchies CEO Mr Fred Harrison at : fredh@ritchies.com.au
or you could even phone him on : 03 97842000 or 0418 323518.
Write to AusDevelopments representative Nigel Mercer at: ausdevelopments@gmail.com
or you can phone him on 0413 673372 or 0755210547

Remember!!! : only Councillors Peter Lewis and Jim O'Neill voted to STAND UP FOR OUR HERITAGE!

Councillors Liska , Marriott, Passfield and Mayor Bennett ALL VOTED FOR DEMOLITION!

LINKS FOR YOUR INFORMATION:

National trust
http://www.nsw.nationaltrust.org.au/sohkyogle.html
http://www.nsw.nationaltrust.org.au/

http://www.aussieheritage.com.au/listings/nsw/Kyogle/KyogleUrbanConservationArea/5423
Ritchies IGA
http://www.ritchies.com.au/index.htm:
http://www.ritchies.com.au/contactus.html
Art Deco Society NSW:
http://www.angelfire.com/retro/artdeconsw/artdeconsw.html
Art Deco Society Vic:
http://www.artdeco.org.au/

STOP PRESS!!!
A Letter has been sent from the National Trust to Dept of Planning Heritage Branch:

7 July 2008
Ms Petula Samios
Director
The Heritage Branch, Department of Planning
Locked Bag 520
Parramatta NSW 2124
Dear Ms Samios
Demolition of Significant Buildings, 17-31 Summerland Way, Kyogle
The National Trust has been contacted by local Kyogle residents deeply concerned at the approval by Kyogle Council of a
development application for a supermarket which involves the demolition of buildings described in the Northern Star Newspaper
and the 1996 Heritage Study as the “best examples of 1930s Art Deco in Kyogle.
It appears that Kyogle Council had never forwarded its heritage study to the NSW Heritage Branch and consequently the buildings
had no legislative protection when the Gold Coast based developer “AusDevelopments” lodged the development application in
March.

Kyogle Council has no heritage items listed on its Local Environmental Plan. Such a situation was one of the main concerns raised
by the National Trust in responding to the proposed amendments to the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act and the
model codes, which appear to facilitate demolition for properties not heritage listed. A dissenting Councillor made the point that
“none of Kyogle’s heritage buildings are protected.”
In addressing the Council, the Northern Star indicates that the developer had argued his case for this site (along lines the
National Trust has heard so many times) –
• The building was unsound and dangerous
• This was the only site as other options involved destroying homes or forcing “a little old lady out of the home she grew up in.”
• If the developer can’t get this site they will pack up and leave town without the $6M development

In such a situation the Trust was surprised and heartened that two of the seven councillors did oppose the development while some
of those supporting the proposal indicated “the fear of losing the $6M IGA complex was behind their vote to approve the development.”
The newspaper article concluded by indicating “an option that could have saved the buildings was distributed to councillors,
minutes before the vote. A letter from the NSW Department of Planning’s Heritage Branch said the council could make an interim
heritage order to protect the buildings for twelve months, giving it time to decide if statutory protection was needed.”
While the Trust strongly supports the action of the Heritage Branch it appears to the Trust that if such important buildings are not heritage listed, future opportunities for the community to raise their objections may not even arise before demolitions are approved.
In this instance a $6M development should have allowed for the incorporation of these unique shop fronts into the adaptive
re-use of these buildings and not the promised incorporation of art deco motifs into the new development design.
Attached are images of the present shopfronts.The Trust is aware of the reluctance of the Heritage Branch to become involved in local
heritage issues but, in this instance, has gone down this track to some extent. However, Kyogle Council based on its previous failure
to list its heritage buildings and under pressure from an interstate developer, has approved the development.

Would the Heritage Council consider recommending to the Minister the making of an Interim Heritage Order to allow a full investigation
into incorporating the shopfronts into the new development proposal?

Would the Heritage Branch request Kyogle Council’s consideration of the submission of a list of heritage buildings for listing on the Kyogle LEP as originally intended following the adoption on 21 August 2000 of the Kyogle Heritage Study prepared by Godden Mackay in September, 1997?

Your early advice would be appreciated.
Yours sincerely,
Graham Quint
Conservation Director

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