Frank Sartor Letter Opposing LES Federal Listing - 26 April 2007

The Hon Malcolm Turnbull MP                                                      2 6 APR 2007

Minister for the Environment and Water Resources

Parliament House

Canberra ACT 2600

Dear Minister

National Heritage List nomination for The Large Erecting Shop - Eveleigh

I refer to correspondence from the Department of the Environment and Heritage seeking comments on the National Heritage List nomination of The Large Erecting Shop (LES). The following is advised in accordance with the National Heritage Protocol.

The NSW Government does not consider the LES to be of such 'outstanding' heritage value to warrant listing on the National Heritage List.

Reasons for the NSW Government decision are outlined below in accordance with the National Heritage Protocol.

Heritage Significance

The LES is an element within the Eveleigh Railway Workshops, established in 1882. The entire Site of which is listed on the State Heritage Register as a railway engineering workshop of state significance.

Any potential national heritage values of the LES within the context of the Eveleigh Railway Yards are questionable when considering that the railway rolling stock housed in the structure is being transferred to another site, and the structure is not unique in a national context.

Currently, the structure is in a very poor condition and is subject to industrial contamination issues. Under the Redfern Waterloo Authority's (RWA) Built Environment Plan and SEPP (Major Projects) 2005 the RWA seeks to restore/adaptively reuse up to 6.7 hectares of rail heritage on the Eveleigh sites and Redfern Railway Station, the LES will comprise 0.54 hectares of this total.

The Redfern Waterloo Authority is expected to assume ownership of the site. Its comments are attached in whole at Enclosure B.

Enclosure A lists heritage reports and publications on the LES held at the Heritage Office library, as per the National Heritage Protocol to provide non-confidential information. Please contact Libby Robertson, Heritage Office Librarian, to arrange access to any of these information sources ...

Considerations under the Heritage Act 1977

The Large Erecting Shop is listed on the State Heritage Register as an element in the listing for the Eveleigh Railway Workshops, A copy of the guzetted listing. exemptions and the accompanying inventory are attached (Enclosure C),

Implications of listing

Should the Australian Heritage Council (AHC) determine that the nominated place might have one or more National heritage values. the NSW Government requests that the AHC assessment of these values be referred for further NSW comment prior to the Minister's determination

Yours sincerely

Frank Sartor MP

cc

Dr Robert Bruce

Director

Heritage !nventory and Referrals Section

Department of the Environment and Heritage