I welcome the City of Sydney Council, this week issuing an Interim Heritage Order for a period of six months, in response to community outrage over the proposal to destroy the Alexandria Hotel.
The Alexandria Hotel is currently under threat from a property developer who plans to demolish the historical building to make way for 28 new apartments, with no provision for parking.
I also thank the hundreds of community members who joined the call for action.
Sydney City Council received a Development Application, to demolish the Alexandria Hotel to make way for a four story apartment complex with NO parking provisions in June.
At the beginning of July, I wrote to each City of Sydney Councillor, including the Lord Mayor, urging Council use their powers under section 25 of the Heritage Act 1977 (NSW) to apply an Interim Heritage Order on site of the Alexandria Hotel.
I also wrote to Alexandria residents with instructions on how they can make their objections on the DA proposal known to Council.
The fight to save the Alexandria Hotel is far from over. This is only the first step. An Interim Heritage Order is temporary. It gives Council time to ascertain the true heritage significance of the site, and assess whether the Alexandria should be listed as a heritage item under the relevant Local Environment Plan. The developers have now appealed to the Land and Environment Court. This fight is far from over.
