LATEST NEWS:
Griffith-House-watchers have been waiting for the big bang, but are now wondering if the historic house in the grounds of St George Hospital is being removed brick by brick.
While everything that could be salvaged has been carefully taken off to be passed on to dealers and recyclers, the house continues to stand.
The house is being demolished to make way for the new emergency department.
What would you like to have been done with the house?
Earlier reports:
Protesters painted the word ‘‘shame’’ on the hoarding around Griffith House on April 17 as demolition began on the historic house.
NSW Health is demolishing the house in Gray Street, Kogarah, to make way for St George Hospital’s new emergency unit.
The move has angered many people, with Kogarah Residents Association insisting that the building could have been saved and incorporated into the hospital’s upgrade.
Workmen were removing the graffiti this morning.
The shell of the old house was covered with plastic hoarding last weekend, hiding the building’s demolition from pubic gaze.
''We understand the house is due to be demolished today,'' Kogarah Residents' Association secretary Leesha Payor said.
Tuesday April 16:
The house behind the plastic hoarding at Kogarah is still standing, although reduced to a shell of its former self.
Griffith House has lost its floors, doors and windows and appears to be waiting in silence for the wrecking ball.
Items of value that can be recycled, such as pressed tin sheets, timber architraves and floor boards are stacked in a neat pile waiting for the dealers and contractors that have claimed them.
The historic house on the grounds of St George Hospital will be reduced to rubble in a day or two, making way for the new emergency department.
Hospital project will escape fees
Kogarah Council will miss out on more than $4.4 million in developer contributions from the construction of the new St George Hospital emergency unit and demolition of Griffith House because it is a State Government and not a commercial project.
The council was not responsible for approving the project and cannot attach conditions such as developer contributions, known as Section 94 contributions, to a Crown application without the agreement of the relevant Minister, said Kogarah Council’s director of planning and environmental services, Rod Logan.
‘‘The Section 94 plan states that where a Crown application is clearly to provide a public benefit then a contribution can be waived,’’ Mr Logan said.
The news came as demolition work gathered pace at the historic 1890s house in Gray Street, Kogarah, with hoardings going up around the property on the weekend.
The contribution calculations are generally structured to apply to lettable commercial/medical floor space at a rate of approximately $11,500 for each 20 square metres, and car parking at a rate of one space (at approximately $24,000) for each 40 square metres.
"The project would have notionally required payments of approximately $2.2 million and $2.2 million respectively, approximately 14 per cent of total construction budget, if it were treated as a commercial enterprise."
A NSW Planning and Infrastructure spokesman said that in its assessment of the project, the state government had not required the payment of any section 94 contributions.
"The council's contributions plan allows exemptions for certain types of development from section 94 contributions," he said.
"Included in those exemptions is development by the Crown that would provide a public service or benefit.
"Kogarah Council did not advise that a section 94 contribution was required by the applicant, NSW Health.
"In this instance, NSW Health is providing the community with an improved public hospital, and the NSW government has, in accordance with council's contributions plan, exempted NSW Health from section 94 contributions on that basis."
Has NSW Planning done the right thing by demolishing Griffith House?
LAST WEEK'S REPORTS:
A demolition site has been set up at Griffith House, Kogarah.
Windows and doors have been removed and hoarding is around the Gray Street property.
The historic 1890s home of one of Kogarah’s founding fathers, Peter Herrmann, is being demolished to make way for a new emergency unit at St George Hospital. Residents and heritage groups have led a strong campaign against this move.
Kogarah Residents Association is lodging a formal complaint to NSW Planning and Infrastructure and is presenting this — and the information collected on the development assessment for the new emergency department — to the NSW Ombudsman for investigation.
Under the draft conditions of approval issued by Kogarah Council, the Department of Planning must submit a heritage interpretation strategy showing how information on the history and significance of Griffith House will be provided to the public.
This could include public art, details of heritage design and display of selected artifacts.
An archival photographic record of Griffith House has be be prepared to the council’s satisfaction.
And all original fabric including window cases, door cases, cast iron lace, joinery, chimney pieces and grates and pressed metal sheeting are to be salvaged and offered to a second-hand materials merchant for reuse.
See related story: http://www.theleader.com.au/story/1326557/thats-it-for-griffith-house/
What do you think of the decision to demolish Griffith House?
