Decision details

Moved by Councillor Scott, seconded by Councillor Scully -

It is resolved that:

(A)        Council note:

(i)          27 January 2019 marks one year since the last resident of the Sirius building, then-91 year old Myra Demetriou, was forced to leave the public housing property at Miller's Point which she had called home for over 50 years;

(ii)         the NSW State Liberal government forcibly relocated public housing residents living in the Sirius building in preparation for the sell-off of the property throughout the preceding years;

(iii)        the tender process for this sell-off is currently nearing completion, with the developers responsible for the disastrous Opal Tower in Olympic Park reported to have submitted a tender for the project, amongst others;

(iv)       the loss of public housing at Miller's Point is an enormous loss to the social housing resources available in our City, and means that many more of the individuals requiring public, social and affordable housing in our City will no longer be able to form a part of our diverse community;

(v)         the Sirius building is a part of the architectural and social history of our City, being a premier example of Brutalist architecture in Sydney, and this sell-off is being conducted against the advice of the NSW Heritage Council on this basis; and

(vi)       the knock-down and redevelopment of the site, which is likely to ensue once the building is sold, will mean this important historic part of our City's skyline will be erased forever; and

(B)        Council:

(i)          continue to oppose the sell-off of the Sirius building by the NSW Liberal state government;

(ii)         call on the NSW State government to urgently stop the sale of the Sirius building;

(iii)        oppose any redevelopment of the Sirius building site which seeks to change its fundamental architectural character; and

(iv)       advocate to the NSW State government that, if the building has already been sold, any funds generated from the sale of the Sirius building be re-invested into public and social housing within the City of Sydney local government area; and

(C)       the Lord Mayor be requested to write to the Premier of NSW, the Hon. Gladys Berejiklian; the NSW Opposition Leander, the Hon. Michael Daley; the NSW Minister for Planning, the Hon. Anthony Roberts; and the NSW Shadow Minister for Planning, the Hon. Tania Mihailuk, expressing these views.

Variation. At the request of Councillor Scully, and by consent, the motion was varied such that it read as follows:

It is resolved that:

(A)        Council note:

(i)          27 January 2019 marks one year since the last resident of the Sirius building, then-91 year old Myra Demetriou, was forced to leave the public housing property at Miller's Point which she had called home for over 50 years;

(ii)         the NSW State Liberal government forcibly relocated public housing residents living in the Sirius building in preparation for the sell-off of the property throughout the preceding years;

(iii)        the tender process for this sell-off is currently nearing completion, with the developers responsible for the disastrous Opal Tower in Olympic Park reported to have submitted a tender for the project, amongst others;

(iv)       the loss of public housing at Miller's Point is an enormous loss to the social housing resources available in our City, and means that many more of the individuals requiring public, social and affordable housing in our City will no longer be able to form a part of our diverse community;

(v)         the Sirius building is a part of the architectural and social history of our City, being a premier example of Brutalist architecture in Sydney, and this sell-off is being conducted against the advice of the NSW Heritage Council on this basis; and

(vi)       the knock-down and redevelopment of the site, which is likely to ensue once the building is sold, will mean this important historic part of our City's skyline will be erased forever;

(vii)      the Lord Mayor has consistently called on the NSW State government to stop the sale of the Sirius building;

(viii)     the Lord Mayor wrote to the NSW Opposition Leader on 19 December 2018 asking he do everything in his power to prevent the loss of Sirius and the important opportunity to provide urgently needed social and affordable housing in the inner city; and

(ix)       the Lord Mayor wrote a joint letter with Shaun Carter, the Member for Sydney, and the Member for Balmain, to the Premier, asking she not sell the Sirius building, particularly to a developer who will demolish it, and to retain this purpose-built, structurally sound, architecturally iconic building for social and affordable housing;

(B)        Council:

(i)          continue to oppose the sell-off of the Sirius building by the NSW Liberal state government;

(ii)         continue to call on the NSW State government to urgently stop the sale of the Sirius building;

(iii)        continue to oppose any redevelopment of the Sirius building site which seeks to change its fundamental architectural character; and

(iv)       advocate to the NSW State government that, if the building has already been sold, any funds generated from the sale of the Sirius building be re-invested into public and social housing within the City of Sydney local government area; and

(C)       the Lord Mayor be requested to:

(i)          write to the Premier of NSW, the Hon. Gladys Berejiklian; the NSW Opposition Leander, the Hon. Michael Daley; the NSW Minister for Planning, the Hon. Anthony Roberts; and the NSW Shadow Minister for Planning, the Hon. Tania Mihailuk, expressing these views; and

(ii)         write to the Minister for Social Housing, requesting if the building has already been sold, that any funds generated from the sale of the Sirius building be re-invested into public and social housing within the City of Sydney local government area.

The motion, as varied by consent, was carried on the following show of hands:

Ayes (7)          The Chair (the Lord Mayor), Councillors Kok, Miller, Scott, Scully, Thalis and Vithoulkas

Noes (2)          Councillors Chung and Forster.

S129266