Category: Uncategorized

PROTECT OUR HERITAGE FORUM

This will be a very important meeting about the proposed State Government changes to planning rules. If you care about our built heritage you MUST come along and support the resistance to some of these changes that will affect our living environment, particularly here in Norwood. It will be held at the Norwood Concert Hall on Wednesday, 18th September – full details on the poster above.

See you there!

Norwood Heritage Walk

Heritage…..It’s More Than A Place

Historian Denise Schumann is passionate about Norwood’s history and its beautiful 19th century-built heritage. She is dismayed at recent developments on The Parade where the unique character of this historic main street and the surrounding streets is being impacted by high-rise contemporary buildings punctuating the skyline as land values increase.

These so-called ‘hip’ developments affect the amenity of one of Adelaide’s oldest suburbs. While being described facetiously as ‘urban renewal’, they systematically erode the character, change the cultural landscape and chip away at the very fabric of local life. Influential groups such as the Property Council of South Australia see the scale of our built heritage and way of life as obstacles to more lucrative developments.

Denise will walk us through the streets of Norwood, revealing the stories, the people and the lessons of history and why we need to preserve our neighbourhood. She will highlight what the loss of local planning powers means and the effects of transferring decision-making powers to remote authorities such as the State Planning Commission and Renewal SA.

Come along and hear what Denise has to say, but please first confirm your attendance.

Details:

Norwood Residents Association Heritage Walk
Date: Saturday 31 August 2.00pm – 4.00pm
Depart: Norwood Town Hall, Cnr The Parade and George Street

Led by Denise Schumann OAM

Maximum number 20 people.
Please register with Chris Francis, President of the NRA (0419 826 918)

Denise Schumann Schumann & Assoc.,(005)

 

AGM 7/8/2019

A reasonable gathering despite the inclement weather attended our recent AGM.

The usual end of term reports were given (you can read the President’s report here: PRESIDENT’S REPORT (Aug 7, 2019) )

after which elections were held which saw all sitting office bearers re-elected unopposed and three new committee members added.

The talk by Tony Zappia on the proposed Coles redevelopment was most instructive. To summarise the current plans we were told:

  • The three significant trees will remain (cork, river red gum and one on the northern side) although there may be a loss of some of the mature trees on the southern boundary.
  • The car park on Edward St will stay much as it is but with a reconfiguration for easier pedestrian access and some shaded parking. There is no no housing planned for Edward St.
  • The Coles delivery area will move from the southern side to the east (off George St).
  • The open parking off George St will be lowered and screened from the road.
  • Townhouses (six from memory) to be built on George St.
  • All new building will be in the centre of the site which will be totally demolished. The Coles supermarket will occupy the ground level, roughly the same size as now.
  • Above this will be a level with commercial space (targeted for a medical centre) plus parking.
  • The third level will be all parking.
  • Above, there will be the so called ‘floating’ townhouses – some 25 or 26 in number (two story) as well as open space for the residents.
  • Also planned are two apartment towers of six stories (making nine total above ground) comprising 26 units each (mainly two bedroom). These will be at the northern end.
  • The access between The Parade and Coke St will remain as per the current mall.
  • There is provision for a ground level ‘piazza’ between the western car park and the mall.

We were told a great emphasis is being put on the environment with more tree planting, the aesthetics (an Italianate colonnade theme is envisaged), heritage and design.

Some details were quite sketchy and more changes are possible.The sites plans were informative but there were no decent elevation drawings to give us an idea of how it might actually look. The claim is that meetings and negotiations are going well with no ‘show stoppers’ and a development lodgement is expected ‘within a few months’. The anticipated build time is 18 months to two years.

There is an offer to give another update further down the track and if enough members are interested we will pursue this.

 

Annual General Meeting

Norwood Residents Association (NRA)
Annual General Meeting

Don Pyatt Hall (Entrance George St)
Wednesday August 7, 2019
7.30 – 9.30pm

Existing and prospective new members are cordially invited to join proceedings at our upcoming public meeting to:

  • Hear a brief overview of NRA activities/goals
  • Nominate/elect office bearers (President, Secretary, Treasurer) and committee members
  • Gain insight into the rationale and scope of the new Coles complex being planned for Norwood
  • Mingle with other residents

Our guest speaker for the evening will be Tony Zappia from Studio Nine Architects, the company managing the proposed Coles re-development.  A brief question time will follow his presentation.

Please come along, stay both informed about and connected to your local community and enjoy a light supper over a friendly chat with others.

 

Save Our Heritage Campaign

 

Save Our Heritage_Norwood Residents Ass2

See full leaflet here: Save Our Heritage_Norwood Residents Ass

To sign the online petition  http://chng.it/BmjCbVYSsc
…share it with your friends.

 Sign up for email updates on the heritage watch website  http://www.heritagewatch.net.au/

Like and share the Love your local heritage Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/love.your.local.heritage/​

 TALKING POINTS   –  STATE PLANNING COMMISSION POLICY POSITIONS ON HERITAGE

  • The proposed framework for heritage protection under the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act and its translation to the Planning and Design Code was supposed to be the subject of the People and Neighbourhoods Discussion Paper, originally proposed for release in 2018. This paper has not yet been released with conflicting explanations from the Department of Planning as to when, where and in what form it might be presented.
  • Without prior notice, in early May the State Planning Commission released instead ‘policy positions’ (not a Discussion Paper) setting out major changes in the way heritage would be dealt with in the new planning system.  There is no public consultation on these documents which is at odds with the Community Engagement Charter under the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act and the process used with other areas of planning policy.
  • The policy positions are presented as a fait accompli, without any evidence or substantive argument to support them.
  • This is not the public debate around planning policy that was supposed to be the purpose of the Community Engagement Charter, which states that:
    ‘the Charter must be used to guide public participation with respect to the preparation of designated policies, strategies and schemes, [including the Planning and Design Code]’
  • The State Planning Commission is not compliant with its own Community Engagement Charter.
  • Many of the ‘policy positions’ advocated by the State Planning Commission are a radical departure from current practice and represent a significant diminution of heritage protections, including downgrading of recognition and protection for more than half of the places currently protected; the introduction of new criteria to make it easier to demolish heritage places and introducing greater uncertainty in approvals for alterations and additions to heritage places.
  • In preparing these ‘policy positions’ the State Planning Commission has ignored the overwhelming public feedback from the DPTI consultation on local heritage conducted in 2016 and the Parliamentary inquiry into heritage conducted in 2018 which strongly supported strengthening of heritage protections and the need for heritage protection to be managed independently of the planning system.
  • Since the release of the’ policy positions’ in May the State Planning Commission has repeatedly failed to answer questions presented to it about its proposed approach, even when they have sought the questions.
  • The Planning Commission has not made the case for the changes it is advocating. Nor has it properly assessed the risks and potential negative impacts of the changes it is proposing.
  • The risks to our remaining heritage places are too great if these proposals are adopted.
  • And the benefits of adopting them have not been proven or supported by any substantive arguments.

So why do it?  Who will benefit?

 

More Heritage Pressure and Helicopter Outrage

The NRA has written to sitting Dunstan member and Premier Steven Marshall on the heritage threats arising from the proposed State Planning Reforms. You can read this letter here: Heritage Letter to Steven Marshall.

Also of interest may be this letter from a Norwood resident about the application for a helipad on Peregrine’s new Head Office building: Peregrine Helicopter Letter