Press release – Supreme Court challenge by Save 10 Murray

Supreme Court challenge

HOBART – 15 MARCH, 2011.  Lobby group Save 10 Murray announced today it will appeal the Resources Management and Planning Appeals Tribunal decision of last month that dismissed its objections to the ‘Parliament Square’ redevelopment.

“We hoped that we would be able to take this step,” says group spokesperson Briony Kidd, “We feel very strongly that this is an important issue for the future of Hobart.”

“We had a target for the amount of money we needed.  We haven’t got all of it, but we have enough to be confident of going ahead.”

“The level of support has been heartening.  We’ve raised a lot of money in a short space of time and we’re confident there will be more donations over the next week or so.  There are a lot of people out there who understand and appreciate what we’re trying to do.”

Read Full Post »

Article – New Twist for old block

by 10M Architects

The Sunday Tasmanian, DANIELLE McKAY | March 06, 2011 12.01am

A GROUP lobbying to save a State Government office block from demolition has produced a bold vision for its future in a bid to draw support as appeal action looms.

The vision for 10 Murray St includes sumptuous greenery, protruding balconies, a roof-top recreational area and even a jet-pack powered man flying overhead. Lobby group Save 10 Murray St has produced 1000 postcards of the image, which come complete with a printed message on the back addressed to Premier Lara Giddings.

The group is distributing them to cafes around Hobart.

Group spokeswoman Briony Kidd said the aim was to open people’s minds to the possibilities of what 10 Murray St could be if it was revamped rather than demolished.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE:  http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2011/03/06/212081_tasmania-news.html

Read Full Post »

Article – Wrecker cleared for 10 Murray

Wrecker cleared for 10 Murray

The Mercury, DAVID KILLICK   | February 16, 2011

TASMANIA’S planning tribunal has approved the demolition of the state office block at 10 Murray St, paving the way for the controversial $100 million Parliament Square redevelopment to proceed.

The Resource Management Planning and Appeals Tribunal yesterday rejected arguments from a group which wanted to preserve the 43-year-old, 14-storey office tower.

It found that the building did not have particular architectural merit and that its retention and refurbishment would not make economic sense.

“In the tribunal’s mind, the existing building is neither an exemplar of anything much at all, nor is it especially well executed,” the ruling said.

“In the tribunal’s view, there is ample material which persuades that there are overriding environmental and economic considerations not to retain the building.”

The tribunal also said the proposal complied with the Sullivans Cove Planning Scheme and would improve the precinct in its current form.

“The site proposed for redevelopment is decrepit and has in large part fallen into disuse,” it said.

“Revitalising the area is important for Sullivans Cove, Hobart and arguably the state of Tasmania.”

READ THE FULL ARTICLE:  http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2011/02/16/207355_real-estate-news.html

Read Full Post »

Article – 10 Murray set to go

10 Murray set to go

The Mercury, DAVID KILLICK   | February 16, 2011 05.28pm

The 10 Murray St office block is set to be demolished.

THE state’s planning tribunal has approved the demolition of the state office block at 10 Murray St – paving the way for the controversial $100 million Parliament Square redevelopment to proceed.

The Resource Management Planning and Appeals Tribunal yesterday rejected arguments from a group which wanted to preserve the 43-year-old, 14-storey office tower.

It found that the building did not have particular architectural merit and that its retention and refurbishment would not make economic sense.

“In the Tribunal’s mind, the existing building is neither an examplar of anything much at all nor is it especially well executed,” the Tribunal found.

“In the tribunal’s view there is ample material which persuades that there are overriding environmental and economic considerations not to retain the building.”

It also ruled that the proposal complied with the Sullivans Cove Planning Scheme and would improve the precinct in its current form.

“The site proposed for redevelopment is decrepit and has in large part fallen into disuse.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE:  http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2011/02/15/207355_real-estate-news.html

Note: This article appeared in the print edition on 16 February, but appeared online on 15 February 2011.

Read Full Post »

Article – Office building backers vow to fight on

Office building backers vow to fight on

The Mercury, February 1 2011

The protectors of 10 Murray St are penning a second appeal after an amended plan for the controversial redevelopment was approved yesterday.

The Sullivans Cove Waterfront Authority gave the Citta Property Group’s $100 million Parliament Square amended development plan the tick.

However, the development hinges on the initial appeal filed by the project’s main opponents, Save 10 Murray St, which remains before the Resource Management Planning and Appeal Tribunal.

The Parliament Square redevelopment is intended to revitalise the block of government buildings between Parliament House and Davey St.

But it has prompted controversy because the plans include the demolition of several historically or architecturally significant buildings, including the 14-storey Murray St office tower and the former Government Printing Office in Salamanca Place.

Save 10 Murray spokesperson Briony Kidd said fighting two applications was draining, but the group would still fight vehemently.

“We will continue to object to the demolition of the iconic building 10 Murray St and the heritage-listed Government Printing building,” she said.

Miss Kidd said the group was expecting a decision from the planning tribunal within the next week.

Read Full Post »

Article – Last plea to save offices

Last plea to save offices

DAVID KILLICK   | The Mercury

January 19, 2011 12.01am

THE 43-year-old government office tower at 10 Murray St is part of a “threatened generation of city buildings” and should be saved from demolition, a planning tribunal has heard.

Final arguments in the appeal against Citta Property Group’s $100 million Parliament Square development were heard in the Resource Management Planning and Appeal Tribunal yesterday.

The main objector is the Save 10 Murray group which wants the building preserved because of its heritage significance and architectural qualities.

The Parliament Square redevelopment is intended to revitalise the block of government buildings between Parliament House and Davey St.

It has prompted controversy because the plans include the demolition of several historically or architecturally significant buildings including the 14-storey Murray St office tower and the former Government Printing Office in Salamanca Place.

Save 10 Murray’s lawyer Shaun McElwaine said two reports used to bolster the case for redevelopment were flawed.

“The evidence put forward in favour of demolition suffers a number of defects and should be rejected,” he said.

“The persons who say this building is of such low significance it should be knocked down did not study here, do not practise here and have not spent much time here.

“It is an important building in the Tasmanian context, although it is maligned by some.”

Mr McElwaine said 10 Murray St was one of just five surviving state office blocks built during the post-war boom.

“We’ve got a heritage watchdog with their eye off the ball. They swallowed the developer’s line,” he said.

A revised proposal for the site is being considered by the Sullivans Cove Waterfront Authority.

Read Full Post »

Article – Building demolition appeal returns to tribunal

Building demolition appeal returns to tribunal

Posted January 18, 2011 14:43  (ABC Hobart website)

A group appealing against the demolition of the 10 Murry Street office block in Hobart has disputed a report saying the building has minimal heritage value.

The planning appeals tribunal is hearing objections to the Parliament Square development proposed for the precinct around Parliament House.

The development would involve demolition of the 1960’s office block.

The Save 10 Murray group says the report claiming there was minimal heritage significance was biased.

Lawyer Shaun McElwaine told the tribunal that consultant Jennifer Hill had written an earlier report, used by the developers, identifying 10 Murray Street and nearby buildings as having development potential.

He says the earlier report had only been made public when the Save 10 Murray group had appealed against the building’s demolition.

This article appears at:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/01/18/3115564.htm?site=hobart

Read Full Post »

10 Murray on show at MoFo

The arts and musical festival MONA FOMA is underway currently in Hobart…

The venue for many of the events is the revamped Princes Wharf 1, with smaller acts appearing on a stage in the courtyard area.  It’s a position that is effectively backgrounded by 10 Murray Street, Tasmania’s iconic 1960s State Offices building.

Read Full Post »

Opinion – Leo Scofield’s column

My Tasmania

by Leo Scofield

The Mercury, Saturday Magazine 13 November 2010

EXCERPT:

It would be interesting to know just how many members the group known as Save 10 Murray St has. I am all for preserving important buildings of any period, but it seems to me that 10 Murray ranks about 99^th on the list of top 100 threatened buildings in Tasmania. That it’s a rare example of a 1950s modernist building is unarguable. But whether it’s an important building is another matter.

Its fans claim that it’s the best Tasmanian example of an office high-rise of this period is like saying Auschwitz is the best example of a Polish concentration camp. It’s not a dog but it’s transcendently undistinguished.

And if, as the chairman of the Heritage Council says, more than two thousand buildings need assessing, there are more important sites to be considered.

Richard Francis Jones, the man in charge of replacing this over-hyped building with something classier, it one of the most highly regarded architects practising in Australia.

Read Full Post »

Article – Appeals stall project

Appeals stall project

The Examiner, 23 May, 2010

The redevelopment of Hobart’s Parliament Square has hit a few obstacles, writes ZOE EDWARDS.

THE developer charged with revamping Hobart’s Parliament Square precinct says the multimillion-dollar project is running smoothly and on budget, despite planning appeals delaying the start of work.

Sydney-based developer Citta Property Group proposes to convert the area behind Parliament House into an open and grassed public space, including an amphitheatre with a giant outdoor screen, bars, eateries and office space.

The space is currently full of unused heritage-listed buildings, car parks and State Government offices.

The Sullivans Cove Waterfront Authority in February approved the demolition of government high-rise 10 Murray Street, a row of buildings along Salamanca Place and the red brick annexe off Parliament House.

The planning go-ahead has sparked a number of appeals against the redevelopment, namely by a group intent on saving 10 Murray and the heritage- listed Printing Authority building from the demolition ball.

Read Full Post »