Anthony Albanese MP and ‘Save Marrickville’ spokesperson Kelsie Dadd launch the Marrickville Character Study

Federal MP, Anthony Albanese MP helped launched a new study of the character and heritage of Marrickville at a well attended meeting held at the Atlas Community Centre on 6 July 2018. Read it here.

The document was produced by resident group Save Marrickville in its campaign to protect the character of Marrickville from massive overdevelopment. More photos on our Facebook page.

Check out Kelsie's presentation slides from the event.

The Greater Sydney Commission invited community groups and the Inner West Council to meet with them on 22 May 2018.

Save Marrickville was represented by Heather Davie and Paul Mortimer, who reported that they “felt genuinely heard” by the commission.

At the meeting, community representatives put their concerns regarding development to the commission and asked that preservation of character and industrial land be given greater emphasis.

Save Marrickville also requested that the Inner West Council and the local community be given much more involvement in decisions on local development.

A copy of the Marrickville Character Study published by the Save Marrickville group, was presented to the Greater Sydney Commission. Check it out here.

Save Marrickville are organising a community meeting to let you know about our work and the developments (ha!) so far. Sign up to receive an invitation by email.

Rod Simpson (Greater Sydney Environment Commissioner), Darcy Byrne (Mayor, Inner West Council), Peter Olive (Sydenham - Bankstown Alliance), Heather Davie (Save Marrickville) and Morris Iemma (Greater Sydney Commissioner).

Also present were Greg Woodhams (ED City Planning GSC), Paul Mortimer (Save Marrickville), Mark Skelsey (Save Dully) and David Birds (Inner West Council Manager Strategic Planning).

Community Reference Group Meeting, East Carrington Rd

Save Marrickville Notes

Date:   Tuesday 1 May, 2018

AGENDA ITEMS

1. Site Tour

- A tour of the East Carrington Site took place at 5:00pm.  Kelsie and Carolyn attended and can update further

1. Adoption of Terms of Reference

- Determined that we would take on notice as we only received the revised Terms of Reference the day prior to meeting.

Non-Agenda Item:  A question was raised about the workshop with Tenants that was held last week. 

- Ross (Chair) stated that the purpose of the workshop was to reassure the businesses of the timeline, and to “myth bust” what would happen then in regard to lease arrangements etc.  The workshop was interactive focusing on the businesses there today and appetite for redeveloped precinct in the future.  They will show outcomes and numbers from that survey when they are ready, however there was a level of interest in terms of staying on the site and the tenants provided information around how plans could enable that.  They received feedback on what business are keen on in terms of access, design, market and customers.

1. Architects overview and urban design process (David Haseler, FJMT)

- David Haseler is the Principle of FJMT – Francis Jones Moreten Thorp) which is a multi-displinary design studio that are interested in the enhancement and contribution to the public realm and includes architecture, interiors, urban design landscape and community (placemaking and engagement).

The way that they approach a design for project:

• Understanding site characteristics, morphology (natural systems, fall of land)
• Place (stories of site and meaning)
• Community (aspirations of community and what is valued).
• Idea (conceptual approach to challenges, guide design through the process to deliver).

How they go about it:

• Analysis (data)
• Design Principles (guide the design through the process; will discuss more in the next session)
• 3D exploration (level changes etc.)
• Design integration (use all skills and disciplines to get best overall outcome

Other Projects by FJMT

The Mint – Sydney Living Museums

The Harrington Collection in The Rocks

Newcastle Museum

Wonderland Apartments – Central Park, Sydney

Inner City High School – Surry Hills

200 George St

Darling Quarter

Marrickville Metro Entrance

East Carrington Rd

- In approaching this project, they have started with the Character of Marrickville based on previous research and discussion from our last workshop.  This was broken out in slides covering:

Impressions of Marrickville:

• It has an inclusive community of people with varied backgrounds.
• It has a strong industrial heritage and embraces a market culture.
• It sees value in and embraces locally sourced goods and is therefore a good place for businesses to start up.
• It has a maker spirit and this is strongly represented in East Carrington Rd.
• It has a passion around sustainability and many initiatives have taken place in Marrickville.

Opportunities for Site:

• Maker Spirit
• Unique Landscape in terms of organic relationship to Cooks River.
• Understand how the natural systems influence the site.
• Connection to transport hubs.
• Build on traditions and character of the Inner West
• Embrace technology, creativity and individuality
• Create a vibrant space and community.

Other:

• Currently it is an island site that creates barriers to the transport hubs. You don’t move through, but move around it.
• FJMT were involved in the previous plan, but want to get more detailed community involvement this time around.
• Carolyn suggested that we share the Save Marrickville Character Report with them.
• A number of people in the group raised heritage concerns and in particular the indigenous heritage of the site and the migrant waves.
• There was a suggestion by Ross that the CRG group could travel to Harold Park/Tramways to see a live environment. 5 hectares were returned to the City of Sydney for parklands.  There are 1300 apartments and up to 8 stories.
• I raised a question about the residential and density aspects of the design process as this was missing from the presentation. Domenic Hunt from Mirvac responded that the number and density of dwellings would depend on the amount of public works that they decided on and therefore how much revenue would need to be raised to pay for it. He explained that the agreement has non negotiable and negotiable aspects:

Non-Negotiable

• must address the flooding and roadwork

Negotiable

• Open Spaces
• Affordable Housing
• Community Facilities.

There are no height restrictions in place.     

1. Forward meeting structure, dates and agenda

• The proposed meeting structure and dates are as follows:

Meeting 3:             9^th May

• Presention and Workshop: Draft urban design principles
• Workshop: Draft landscape design principles (Aspect Studio: Landscape Company).

Meeting 4:                            23^rd May

• Workshop: Traffic, transport and connection.
• Workshop: Social Infrastructure and Community Benefits.

Meeting 5:                            Late June

• Presentation and Workshop: Preliminary design for the revised proposal (at this point we would look at density and height of planned proposal).

- Members of the CRG raised concerns that there was not enough time between meetings to go back to stakeholders and gather responses/concerns/questions.   Ross said that they would review whether they could move meeting 4 out another week (TBC).

A great read about elements of the campaign so far, published by NEIGHBOURHOOD.

Text by Drew Rooke with images by Daniel Mulheran.

Carrington Road’s industrial past 

Save Marrickville is campaigning against a proposed 35 storey residential development along Carrington Road, which includes the last Australian General Motors factory (listed by the National Trust), but found a much bigger history.

In 1926, the American motor vehicle firm General Motors (Australia) Pty Ltd established assembly plants in Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide and Sydney to produce motor vehicles for the Australian market. Sydney architects Ross and Rowe were commissioned for the Sydney plant (6-10 Carrington Road). The design was to comply with all the conditions of a modern assembly plant and to provide the best possible conditions for all employees, according to GM’s Motor Progress.

The NSW Premier, the Hon JT Lang, opened the factory declaring:

“Factories were the milestones along the road Australia must travel to become a self-contained nation whose secondary industries would absorb her primary products… there is no market like that created by the employment of local labour… and it will be striking advertisement to the world of this country of ours.”

General-Motors purchased Holden in 1931 during the Depression (fearing it would be snapped up by a competitor) and continued to operate there until 1939. The factory then produced tyre cord until 1961 after being taken over by Davies Co-op, a significant corporation in the Australian textile industry in the Twentieth Century.

Other businesses established close to General Motors. AH Peters (16 Carrington Road) made bodies for trucks and utilities including ambulances used all over NSW. Duly & Hansford (20-28 Carrington Road) made automotive parts including under the Dufor brand.

Rega Products took an order for 30,000 pumps from General Motors to be produced from its 1937 Art Deco factory designed by AM Bolot at 47 Carrington Road. Rega Products, Duly & Hansford and Davies Coop all manufactured munitions in the Second World War. Aircraft equipment and a technical school for the RAAF and United States Air Force were also established by ETC-Tecnico (49 Carrington Road).

After the War, Tecnico transitioned to producing electrical goods for the civilian mass market including vacuum cleaners and lawn mowers. Tecnico was taken over by Pye in 1959, and built new headquarters in 1962 (57 Carrington Road).

Not only does Carrington Road showcase industrial design and manufacturing, its workers mirror Australia’s Twentieth Century cultural history. The 1920s motor vehicle industry attracted eager young men (Duly & Hansford was known locally as Boystown for its hiring practices), while women were conscripted to work during the War often under deplorable conditions. The post-war labour shortage and demand for mass-market goods then provided opportunities for migrants as they established their future in Australia. The current businesses in Carrington Road continue to be part of that story.

A nomination for State Heritage listing has been made.

Know more about the history of Carrington Road, email [email protected]

First published by Marrickville Heritage Society 2018

The Wolli Creek Valley might have been an 8-lane freeway, but it was saved by Sydney's longest conservation fight.

The valley is inner south-west Sydney's environmental gem – a tranquil haven in a busy city, preserving an irreplaceable remnant of the pre-European landscape.

For 40 years a struggle over Sydney's future has been fought out here, a struggle that isn't yet over. It's been a battle between freeways and public transport; between open space and over-development; between urban sprawl and consolidation; between high-carbon and sustainable futures.

View EcoTransit's amazing documentary [1 hr 15 mins] which includes lots of Wolli footage and a history of the freeway paradigm going back to Mussolini and Le Corbusier.

Over 500 residents and friends attended the Save Marrickville rally on 24 February and we thank every one of you. Our work is just beginning and we are grateful for your support. We set off from Marrickville Town Hall and with guidance from Marrickville police, walked up the pavement to the Mirvac office where we delivered a copy of the Save Marrickville's group submission to the rezoning plan. Their shop/office was closed for the day.

Onward to Alex Trevallion Plaza for speeches from Save Marrickville spokeswoman Kelsie Dadd, Federal MP Linda Burney, Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne and Greens Councillor Colin Hesse.

This rally follows on from an earlier Inner West Council meeting of 500 people at Marrickville Town Hall, opposing development plans for Marrickville and the Carrington precinct.

Kelsie's speech:

MEDIA RELEASE

Public rally in Marrickville to oppose overdevelopment and high rise

The Save Marrickville resident group is organising a public rally on Saturday 24 February, to stop overdevelopment and high rise in Marrickville.

Speakers at the rally will include Federal MP Linda Burney, Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne and Greens Councillor Colin Hesse.

All residents are encouraged to come along and add their voices. The rally will start at Marrickville Town Hall at 12.00, march down Marrickville Road past the office of developer Mirvac, and end with speeches at Alex Trevallion Plaza, next to the post office.

“Marrickville residents are alarmed at the NSW government’s revised Marrickville Plan, which plans high rise next to Marrickville Station, and Mirvac’s proposal for 35 storey buildings on the Carrington Road site,” says Save Marrickville spokesperson Kelsie Dadd.

“We are concerned about the loss of Marrickville’s character and heritage, as well as the loss of important industrial land and employment.”

“Marrickville residents are putting up Save Marrickville placards along Marrickville Road and around the suburb. We will campaign throughout 2018, by talking to the government, and through the media, our savemarrickville website, and the 500 local people on our email list,” said Kelsie Dadd.

This rally follows on from an earlier Inner West Council meeting of 500 people at Marrickville Town Hall, opposing development plans for Marrickville and the Carrington precinct.

___________________________________________________________________________________

Media contacts: Kelsie Dadd 0428 406 929 [email protected]

Paul Mortimer 0435 240 844 [email protected]

www.savemarrickville.com.au

Save Marrickville meetings with Planning Minister and key decision makers

Save Marrickville have been working hard to ensure that the matters that are important to the Marrickville community are being heard by the NSW government, opposition and Planning NSW.

22 Jan 2018 – We met with the Greater Sydney Commission

Save Marrickville outlined our concerns to a senior manager at the Commission, regarding proposed overdevelopment, and poor planning and infrastructure. The manager undertook to report our concerns to the Commissioners, in particular regarding loss of industrial land. The Commission, which is an advisory body only, appears to genuinely support retention of industrial zoning in our area.

8 Feb 2018 – We met with Anthony Roberts MP, NSW Minister for Planning

We explained our concerns about the proposal for 35 storeys in Carrington Rd and the Priority (Planned) Precinct rezoning of large areas around Marrickville station for high density and high rise. Planning NSW senior managers were present at the meeting.

The Minister expressed some understanding regarding excessive heights proposed, and proposals for 8 storeys zoned next to single storey buildings.

We discussed the potential loss of industrial land and 1800 jobs near Carrington Rd, how this would affect Marrickville and Sydney as a whole, and that losing this industrial land is against the advice of the Greater Sydney Planning Commission’s report. We discussed the industries in the Carrington Rd Precinct – such as car repair workshops, bakers, manufacturing, service industries and artists.

The Minister seemed to understand our concerns about the loss of character of Marrickville if overdeveloped. We explained the history of Marrickville as a gateway to new migrants and how this history is reflected in the character and houses in the area, and that the heritage in Marrickville is more than just Victorian era houses. We explained that Mirvac and other developers are using Marrickville’s character to sell their developments – the exact same developments that will destroy this character. We also covered the impact that high density would have on the narrow roads, traffic and the little active green space we have in the area.

The Minister asked NSW Planning to work with us and look more at our concerns, particularly around preserving the character of Marrickville. Save Marrickville are now working on a report to NSW Planning on what makes Marrickville unique and preserving the character of our area.

8 Feb 2018 – We met with Michael Daley, NSW Shadow Minister for Planning

Save Marrickville outlined our concerns for both Mirvac’s proposal for 35 storeys in Carrington Rd, the planned high density rezoning around Marrickville station, and loss of industrial land.

The Shadow Minister asked for more information about the industries in the Carrington Rd Precinct and Save Marrickville will be providing this information. The Shadow Minister confirmed that the Labor Party will tear up the Priority Precinct plans if elected.