- In short: A historic rail shed that is in the exact spot where Hobart’s proposed AFL stadium would be built, could be given heritage listing this year
- What’s next?: It will be up to the Tasmanian Planning Commission to decide whether the shed is moved, demolished or kept where it is
A historic goods shed in Hobart that’s in the exact spot of a proposed AFL stadium could soon be given heritage protection — creating a potential headache for the arena project.
The circa-1915 wooden-framed railway goods shed was nominated for the state heritage register in 2008, 2013 and 2014, but is yet to be fully assessed.
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Opposition parties have questioned whether it might be demolished suddenly before an assessment can occur.
A 2015 report for the Macquarie Point Development Corporation (MPDC) found the shed met seven out of eight heritage assessment criteria, and its level of significance meant it had to be retained in its current location.
The report stated that it was the last of its type and scale in Tasmania and potentially Australia, and the last remaining industrial rail structure in Hobart.
Tasmanian heritage rail driver and historian Tony Coen said there would be a fight to keep it in its current location.
“It is the last of its kind in all of Australia, there are no more like this. There were lots of them all over the place and there was another one in Launceston that got demolished,” he said.
“It’s the same as these magnificent buildings we have in the city. This building, it’s got its own heritage, its own history, it’s unique.”
The problem might already have been considered by the AFL.
In its artist’s impression of the stadium, the shed has been moved 110 metres out of the way.
Former director of the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, Chris Tassell — who helped repurpose Launceston’s old rail buildings — said it was not unheard of to relocate heritage structures.
“A wooden-frame building is actually reasonably straightforward to relocate, as opposed to a masonry building,” he said.
“The building itself doesn’t lose value, but the context of the building certainly does.
“It’s about what’s the significance of that site, in that specific location, as opposed to just keeping it in the general area.”
In the 2015 report, the shed was described as “one of the best remaining examples of a large goods shed in Australia”.
It demonstrated construction techniques that were now rare and reflected two major periods in Tasmanian rail history.
When constructed, it led to an expansion of Tasmanian fruit exports.
Most of the surrounding rail buildings were demolished in the 1980s but the goods shed was retained to support the city’s freight industry.
Mr Tassell said Hobart had a history of losing old buildings but the public’s appreciation for built heritage had improved.
“Industrial heritage is now recognised as a significant part of the state’s cultural heritage,” he said.
Building with ‘a lot of atmosphere’
The building itself houses the offices of the MPDC, and is occasionally used for events including Dark Mofo.
A $5 million upgrade was planned last year to make it one of Hobart’s premier event spaces but that hasn’t happened, although it was supposed to be completed by mid-2023.
The shed is included in the Sullivans Cove planning scheme, but it’s unclear whether that gives it any protection during the stadium approval process.
Hobart Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds said it had a part to play in the city’s future.
“It is a special building,” she said.
“It is a building that has a lot of atmosphere which is why it’s so perfect for events and certainly, it’s an important part of the cultural facilities that are currently available in the city of Hobart.”
The state government plans to put the stadium through the ‘project of state significance’ process, which means the Tasmanian Planning Commission becomes the relevant planning authority.
Ultimately it will be up to that body to recommend to government whether the goods shed is relocated, demolished or retained.
Tasmanian Heritage Council (THC) deputy chair Genevieve Lilley said the heritage listing would be considered this year.
“The THC has recently requested a more detailed assessment be undertaken to assess the goods shed site’s potential to satisfy the significance criteria sufficient for state heritage listing,” she said.
“Should the THC decide to proceed to provisional listing of this site, this would occur later this year.”
Ms Lilley said it had not been considered for heritage listing yet — despite three nominations — because other nominations had been given higher priority.
She said the AFL stadium team had not been in communication with the THC.
Opposition parties hint at demolition risk
The issue was raised in parliament during heritage estimates hearings last month, with Labor and the Greens suggesting there was a risk the shed could be demolished before it could be assessed.
Labor Heritage spokesperson Michelle O’Byrne asked whether protection existed to prevent this from occurring.
Heritage Tasmania director Andrew Roberts replied that protections were not invoked until the building was given a provisional listing.
Greens leader Cassy O’Connor said the heritage values of the shed had long been established.
“You’d have to acknowledge there’s a risk here, isn’t there?” she said.
Heritage Minister Madeleine Ogilvie responded she was comfortable with the current level of protection.
“I’m actually not certain that that’s accurate. The reason I say that is because it does have protection under the current arrangements,” she said.
“This is an issue that we need to take care with … I love heritage.”
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Source: AFL NEWS ABC
