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Letter on Role of Blacksmith Shop in DA Approval - 1996

The Chief of staff to the Minister for Urban Affairs and Planning wrote this letter to The Institution of Engineers, Australia in July 1996 outlining the role of the Blacksmith shop in the Minister’s consent of the development application for the Locomotive Workshop building. The letter says: “The first 2 bays of the building will enable the full appreciation of the historic significance of the place, with collections and assemblages of machinery on display and machinery being operated by the blacksmith. The blacksmith operation is proposed to be open to public view. It is considered that the proposal retains the significance of the place while allowing the adaptive reuse of the building which will ensure its long term conservation.”

Letter to: Chairman, Engineering Heritage Committee, The Institution of Engineers, Australia

The Hon. Craig Knowles MP, Minister for Urban Affairs and Planning and Minister for Housing, has asked me to respond on his behalf to your letter concerning the development proposal for the Locomotive Workshop building in the Eveleigh Precinct of City West,

On 6 June 1996, the Minister granted consent to the development application subject to 39 conditions. The conditions of consent address a broad range of heritage and conservation issues, including those recommended by the Heritage Council.

The Minister shares your interest in the conservation of the Locomotive Workshop building and the historic machinery it houses. The Minister is satisfied with the extensive design development and assessment process followed for the building. The development application was advertised during February/March, 1996, providing opportunity for public comment. Furthermore, the proposal was developed in close consultation with the Locomotive Workshop Building Steering Committee which was formed by resolution of the Heritage Council. The Committee is made up of a Heritage Council member, Heritage Manager State Rail Authority, and representatives from South Sydney Council, City West Development Corporation and the Department of Urban Affairs and Planning's Heritage and City West branches. The Heritage Council also commented on the development application and recommended a number of draft conditions of consent which as outlined earlier have been incorporated into the consent

In addition to the Conservation Management Plan prepared for the building, the Department of Urban Affairs and Planning is jointly funding a study with the State Rail Authority and the City West Development Corporation looking specifically at management of the machinery. The study is being carried out by the heritage consultants Godden Mackay, The study is well advanced and a draft Management Plan has been prepared. This plan assesses the significance of the machinery, classifies the items, outlines conservation policies and outlines a detailed management strategy. The management strategy covers issues such as location of machinery, maintenance and interpretation.

The draft management strategy recommends machinery to be retained insitu and the development accommodates this machinery. The architects for the proposal liaised closely with Godden Mackay during the preparation of the design. The majority of the relics to be retained insitu are located in bays 1 and 2, however there are also items in bays 3,4,8,9,10,11,13,14 and in the annexes to the building. All are to be retained insitu.

Bays 1 and 2 of the building represents an area of approximately 3500m2 and basically has the same ground floorplate as the adjoining National Innovation Centre. This area has been set aside for historic machinery exhibition (1 and 2 north) and an operating blacksmith (1 and 2 south). The Conservation Management Plan recommended bays 1-4 remain open. As a trade-off, bays 3 and 4 are proposed to have mezzanines and be used for technology park uses, however bays 10,11,12,13,14 are to be kept open for use as an exhibition area. In these bays, the full scale and space of the building will be able to be appreciated. The first 2 bays of the building will enable the full appreciation of the historic significance of the place, with collections and assemblages of machinery on display and machinery being operated by tie blacksmith. The blacksmith operation is proposed to be open to public view. It is considered that the proposal retains the significance of the place while allowing the adaptive reuse of the building which will ensure its long term conservation.

I trust this information satisfies your concerns over the development proposal. You and your committee members are also invited to a full briefing on the development and an inspection of the building. Should you wish to take up this offer, please contact Alan Bright of the Department of Urban Affairs and Planning to arrange a time.

Yours sincerely,

'Paul Levins
Chief of Staff