Sydney's endangered Sirius public housing tower – in pictures
Protesters gathered in Sydney’s historic Rocks district on Saturday to rally against the New South Wales government’s plans to sell off the Sirius building – which contains 79 social housing tenants – to developers for more than $100m. The 1970s Brutalist building was nominated for heritage listing by the NSW National Trust in 2014 but the government has refused to grant it, saying the proceeds from the sale are needed to build more public housing elsewhere in Sydney
Protesters gathered in Sydney’s historic Rocks district on Saturday to rally against the New South Wales government’s plans to sell off the Sirius building – which contains 79 social housing tenants – to developers for more than $100m. The 1970s Brutalist building was nominated for heritage listing by the NSW National Trust in 2014 but the government has refused to grant it, saying the proceeds from the sale are needed to build more public housing elsewhere in Sydney
The Sirius building. The New South Wales environment and heritage minister, Mark Speakman, has refused requests to give the building heritage listing, saying the money from its sale is urgently needed to build more public housing.Photograph: Katherine Lu/Save Our Sirius
‘I am not listing it because whatever its heritage value, even at its highest that value is greatly outweighed by what would be a huge loss of extra funds from the sale of the site, funds the government intends to use to build social housing for families in great need,’ Speakman said.- Photograph: Barton Taylor/Save Our Sirius
Hundreds of protesters marched from Customs House to the Sirius building on Saturday to demand its heritage listing.Photograph: Tom Rabe/AAP
Critics of the sale including Sydney’s lord mayor, Clover Moore, say that by ‘selling off social housing in Millers Point and now demolishing Sirius shows the NSW government doesn’t think public housing tenants deserve to live in the heart of our city’.Photograph: Barton Taylor/Save Our Sirius
There are hundreds of thousands of people on the waiting list for public housing in NSW. In most areas, the expected waiting time for a vacancy is more than 10 years.Photograph: Barton Taylor/Save Our Sirius
The Save Our Sirius group has raised $35,000 through crowdfunding for a legal challenge against the government’s decision to sell off the building.Photograph: Katherine Lu/Save Our Sirius
The group has also successfully appealed for a union-backed ‘green ban’ on the site, which means that major unions, including the CFMEU, will refuse requests to work on the demolition or the construction of new apartments there.Photograph: Katherine Lu/Save Our Sirius
The CFMEU’s state secretary, Brian Parker,said the union had saved The Rocks from development 40 years ago and would again take a stand against inappropriate development. ‘The Sirius building is not only an important piece of Sydney’s architectural history – it is one of the last areas of public housing remaining in the district. We will stand with the residents of Sirius and fight to save their homes.’Photograph: Barton Taylor/Save Our Sirius
The building was designed by Tao Gofers in the late 1970s for the NSW housing commission in the Brutalist architectural style popular at the time. It features off-the-form concrete and the stacking of cubic components to create a harmonious whole.Photograph: Katherine Lu/Save Our Sirius
Jack Mundey, the former union leader and environmental activist who was instrumental in the green bans of the 70s, outside the Sirius building during protests last week.Photograph: Dean Lewins/AAP
Public housing tenants will be placed in other areas if the government goes ahead with its plans to sell off the building.Photograph: Dean Lewins/AAP
The building, named after the first fleet ship, is also significant as an early example of rooftop landscape gardening. It was a landmark of its time and was featured in a number of architectural publications.- Photograph: Dean Lewins/AA
