Culture

“They’re In For A Shitstorm”: For Sale Sign Goes Up On Iconic Sirius Building

"Pru Goward is the Dolores Umbridge of the NSW Government"

by Sam Langford  7 December 2017
sirius building

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The NSW Government has put Sydney’s iconic Sirius Building up for sale, ignoring international and local heritage bodies, community activists, unions, and residents, all in favour of some quick cash.

The move to sell the building — which may lead to its demolition — comes despite a fierce community campaign to save it on the grounds that it plays a vital role both as inner-city public housing, and as a rare example of Brutalist architectural style. The building is on the World Monuments Fund watch list, was unanimously recommended for heritage listing by the NSW Heritage Council and the National Trust, and was even listed on the State Government’s Heritage Register in 1995.

Despite all of these expert bodies recommending that the building be heritage listed and preserved, Minister for Heritage Gabrielle Upton, who has no background in architecture or heritage, decided in October that “while the Sirius Building is distinctive, in my view, it is not a landmark worthy of State heritage protection”.

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While announcing the impending sale of the building this morning, Minister for Social Housing Pru Goward said the expected $100 million proceeds were necessary to fund public and community housing elsewhere in Sydney. However, supporters of the building have argued that this justification for selling the building is undermined by the government’s recent decision to spend billions demolishing and rebuilding two perfectly good sporting stadiums, demonstrating that they do indeed have money on hand.

“We’ve said from the get go that this isn’t about money,” Save Our Sirius chairman Shaun Carter told Junkee. “If the government’s prepared to drop billions of dollars on stadiums we already have, why can’t we just use that money right now for social and affordable housing? Don’t do the stadiums, put it towards kids’ sport and affordable housing.”

“Pru Goward is the Dolores Umbridge of the NSW Government,” he said. “Just a nasty piece of work.”

Supporters of the building have taken to social media in the wake of the sale announcement to express outrage and disappointment. Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore tweeted a picture of the “for sale” sign with the caption, “this is devastating”, noting that “Sydney will be so much the poorer if our city area becomes an enclave reserved for the wealthy”.

The Save Our Sirius campaign is now hoping to find a buyer for the building who will respect its heritage value and consider maintaining it as community housing. Should the building sell to developers, Carter said they should expect to face resistance.

“If it goes to sale, and if the wrong person buys it, they’re just in for a shitstorm. We’ll camp at the building, we’ll link arms, they’ll have to drive trucks through us to get to the building,” he told Junkee.

“And let’s not forget as well, this building has a green ban on it. No unionised labour will work on that site.”

Expressions of interest to buy Sirius are now open here. You can find out more about the campaign opposing its demolition here.