Retired Members Submission on Mirvac Application The RTBU Retired Members Association has made a submission on the application by MIRVAC for proposed uses of Innovation Plaza, at the site of the old Locomotive Workshops at Redfern. A summary of the submission is: The RTBU Retired Members Association is opposed to the application by Mirvac to modify the development consent applying to the reuse of the Locomotive Workshops by extending food and beverage uses into the public land and public recreation zone that forms Innovation Plaza. The RTBU RMA argues the application should be rejected.
• There is an alternative to Mirvacs public land grab and that is for them to lead the community in discussing the implementation of a plan for multi-use public recreation which is the subject of community consultation and endorsement. The concepts of such a plan were put to a meeting of the sites Community Liaison Group. Former RTBU National Secretary, Roger Jowett represents the Association on this group. In November 2019 the CLG was presented with a number of concepts for the future of the Plaza including many ideas about public recreation. However the meeting was pledged not to disclose the nature of the presentation. Much to our surprise 13 months later Mirvac in their application claimed the issue of commercialisation for retail purposes of the Plaza was the subject of a presentation and discussion. This was clearly not the case and this confirmed by the Minutes of the meeting. • Mirvacs modification application did not refer to the heritage machinery collection and social and labour history that should be an integral part of any development. The Association argued this was a major omission which had to be remedied.
The mains grounds to our objection were: • Innovation Plaza under various Environmental Planning instruments is zoned public land and the land use applying is Public Recreation. • In addition, as part of the sale process to Mirvac by the State Government in 2015 ,it has Covenants and Easements granting public access to all areas of Innovation Plaza at all times.
Community Action Blocks Public Land Grab At a meeting of the Community Liaison Group, held at the end of February, the company advised, through gritted teeth, that they would withdrew their applications for built structures and the keg/bar room facilities. They indicated they reserved their position on outside loose furniture for a restaurant depending on whom obtained the lease for the adjacent unoccupied site within the workshops. This is a major win for the community group RedWatch and the RTBU RMA.
RAIL & ROAD March 2021
The crucial issue was the existing public easement established by the NSW Government in 2016 when the site was privatised. This gave the public unfettered rights of access to Innovation Plaza and had been “overlooked” by both Mirvac and the City Council of Sydney. Sustained pressure from Geoff Turnbull from RedWatch applied to senior officers of the Council forced then to recognise the pre-eminence of the public easement over planning legislation and development applications.
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