ATP Locomotive Workshop (Bays 1 - 4a)

I object to these proposals

I object to both of the proposals.

See file uploaded below

I strongly object to further redevelopment without any protection to the already depleted heritage items and structure.

OBJECTION

See attachment below

I have lived in Wilson Street opposite the vehicular entry to the North Eveleigh site for nearly 40 years and have been engaged with the successive planning and heritage issues. I am an expert in these fields, having a long career as a planner and heritage consultant. I accept in full the ARAG assessment as it covers most issues of concern. I respond to it with some general comments, while endorsing the bulk of the ARAG submission. Full objection is a PDF attachment.

File attached.

Submision in response to Mirvacs Proposed redevelopment of The Eveleigh Locomotive Workshops.
1. The insertion of a loading dock into bay 1&2 north is an unacceptable intrusion into the heritage space of the machinery collection. At the time the workshops closed the machinery collection was housed in four bays a large part of which was in original location at least since the spring shop relocated to bay 3 north in 1972.
Under the existing development consent approved in 1995 this was diminished to two bays 1&2 as a compromise and the machine tools and other items stored outside or in bay 4a relocated to bay ten and bays 3,4 and 16. The existing working space was reduced to half bays and the annex to the south of bay 1.

2. I note that the proposed development does not mention adhering to the Burra Charter which is quite clear that items should be displayed in existing locations where ever possible. Relocating forges from bay two north to bay one or two south is not appropriate and diminishes the sense of scale of the original bays. Mirvac was completely dismissive of any repair works at the time that I was managing the blacksmiths shop and despite engineers report outlining required on forges in bay 2 south these were never undertaken, further study by ATP conservators at the time revealed that the forges needed complete rebuilding which Mirvac refused to do.
3. The loss of the annex to the existing blacksmithing operation should be reconsidered as the existing operation is a commercial concern with financial obligations to the landlord and as such is not a museum and must house spare parts, materials works, in progress somewhere. This has over the years been the use of the annex amongst other things. How is the current or future tenant expected to operate under the public eye without recourse to a storage area? Traditionally the workshops had ancillary stores, repair facilities, material stores and waste disposal facilities adjacent to, or within the building elsewhere: this has not been addressed in the development proposal and is an important part of operating a functioning workshop.
4. Page 86 of the Development application makes mention "The Loading bay ...will be constructed in light weight steel..and other industrial style elements." What this means is it will be made really cheaply out of the most flimsy materials with no regard to the industrial character of the existing fabric. The vertical slider [ not a roller door] and the viewing window was described in exactly the same terms in the 1995 Da and construction of the annexes to the south of building for fire prevention and the power distribution, resulted in anodised aluminium louvers and bezer block construction. Calling this monstrosity a "Ghost structure" is a clear indication of Mirvac slipping a wide ball at government. This Ghost structure is 25% of the floor space of the bays 1&2 north and it is nothing like a Ghost but clearly visible clearly cheap and tacky and very solid and very very obtrusive to a heritage viewing experience.
Anodised aluminium is light weight and looks cheap and nasty in comparison to the industrial construction of the original building of 1887. Defacing bay 1&2 with an anodised aluminium and pressed or roll formed galvanised steel construction is not in accordance with the Burra Charter where like is replaced with like.
Hot steel riveted structure substantial use of cast or forged elements in the building fabric. New additions are made in the same style.
5. The loading dock diminishes the sense of scale and detracts from the machinery exhibits by imposing an incongruous eye saw in a sacred icon of Australian manufacturing and should not be allowed. The value of the heritage collection was made know to the proposed purchasers and they are required to be responsible custodians of the collection and to provide public access to the collection and to interpret the collection appropriately, stating in Mirvacs application that they feel it is not fully interpreted is no excuse for devaluing or destroying the collection as this insertion of a loading dock does.
6. The insertion of a heritage interpretation booth above the loading dock is no substitute for the real thing: an intact view of "The largest steam powered Victorian blacksmithing collection known in the Western world" [Comment made by a curator from the Smithsonian Institute] and it seems this is being lost on Mirvac . Mirvac has a responsibility to preserve and interpret the collection as part of the obligations imposed on the sale and the government at the times insistence to interested community groups that the sale would not diminish the heritage value of the site. The loading dock diminishes the value of the Heritage of the site.
7. The machine tools on display in bay 10 the proposed development application mentions that they might be of use to apprentices in Chullora but is not clear on what that entails. Does Mirvac mean to ship all the machine tools to Chullora and wash their hands of the machine tool collection? Or is Mirvac going to have all the machines restored and new foundations cast for them to operate properly and completely redesign the existing roof drainage so that the overhead cranes can operate again and the machines be usable [ the machine tools cannot operate without heavy lift facilities], Where are the apprentice change and wash rooms going to go, tool store, what access will bay ten have for heavy machinery access through the commercial developments planned and how will noise be controlled and smells from oils and coolants, will a hazardous chemical store be provided perhaps shared with the blacksmiths
8. The machinery collection of bays 10, 3, 4 and 16 is under serious threat from this current proposal and provides no clear answers as to how these items could be successfully displayed and interpreted which Mirvac is currently obliged to keep and maintain.
9. The Heritage interpretation booth is a great idea but should be provided at the gateway to the site so that people become aware that the site is of Heritage value and where they can go to view items of interest and gain an appreciation of the extent of the original works ,the whole complex which the locomotive Workshops comprise only a small part of but the Big Picture the forty acers of industrial workshops that was Eveleigh, the greatest industrial complex in the southern hemisphere in the 1950's.
10. The NSW government has a manifesto that provides for the creation of unique spaces. This proposal seriously devalues the industrial past of the locomotive workshop, it does not build on what is there ,but chips away at the floor space dedicated to displaying the heritage of the site it diminishes the collection by removing items from public view. It clearly seeks approval from the NSW Government in this development application by very discreet mention of relocations to completely wash their hands of Heritage machinery of site to Chullora, clutter the existing blacksmithing operation with decrepit forges that Mirvac is not prepared to rebuild to original specifications [The Burra Charter: replace like with like] to deny the current blacksmithing operators a storage facility.

I object to the SSD, attached is my reasons.
Regards
Jose

Our written submission will follow by email

Please find attached

see attached

see attached

see attached

see attached

see attached

see attached

see attached.

see attached submission from the Rail, Tram and Bus Union, Retired
Members Association.