Call for submissions to Heritage Victoria

Heritage Victoria has received an application from the developer of Hoffman Brickworks to make a number of significant changes to the agreed development plan for the site.

These changes include:

Demolition of the Gatehouse and replacement with a 4-storey residential Building E
Relocation of the Edge Runner Mill from its original location to Dawson Street, south of Kiln 3, to allow for
Construction of 4-storey residential Building 6A to the west of the Brick Press Shed
An above ground and basement level car park between Kilns 2 and 3

One of the key decisions for Heritage Victoria will be whether or not to allow the demolition of the gatehouse. It is part of the historic core of the site that is on the Victorian Heritage Register.

WHAT IS PROPOSED IS A MAJOR CHANGE to what has been agreed by the local community and Moreland City Council!

The permit was advertised in the Moreland Leader on 5 December 2005.

There are notices about the permit application posted around the brickworks.

Heritage Victoria only allows 14 days for submissions from the date of the advertisements. This means submissions should be sent to Heritage Victoria preferably by Monday 19 December. This is incredibly short notice in the busy period leading up to Christmas (and STB will strongly express our

concern about this to Heritage Victoria).

Save the Brickworks will be putting in a submission and will hold a public meeting at:

The amphitheatre, Gilpin Park

6-7 pm Sunday 18 December

IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT that members and friends put in submissions too. A short submission of one or two paragraphs is all you need to do. In making your submission, put it in your own words! Below are some points on issues that you might like to cover - you do not need to cover all of them. Write about what is important to you.

Your submission will become a public document - if you want it to be confidential and only read by Heritage Victoria staff, you need to specify this (we suggest that all submissions should be public documents).

You can send your submission by post or by email.

The Heritage Victoria email address for submissions (and all general enquiries) is:

heritage.victoria@dse.vic.gov.au

Please send a copy of your submission to Save the Brickworks too - our email

is savethebrickworks@yahoo.com.au

PLEASE WRITE YOUR SUBMISSION NOW AND SEND IT STRAIGHT AWAY.

YOUR SUBMISSION COULD COVER SOME OR ALL OF THE FOLLOWING (IN YOUR OWN

WORDS!)

The Hoffman Brickworks is an important part of Brunswick's history that should be conserved for future generations.
The developers have been allowed to rezone and redevelop the site in accordance with an approved plan agreed by the local community and the Council - now its time that they fulfilled their obligations to complete the conservation and interpretation works on the historic core before any more development for housing is even considered.
The gatehouse is part of the historic core. It is significant and should not be demolished.
There is enough residential development on the site already. No more is warranted.
The buildings and spaces in the historic core should be primarily used to tell the Hoffman's story - the brickworks, the pottery, the lives of workers, the processes. Any uses in these buildings should be designed around telling the story of the site and keeping significant fabric. Public access throughout the historic core is essential so that our community and visitors can appreciate the importance of this site.
ADD OTHERS...

And you might like to express how you feel about the process Heritage Victoria is using to seek public submissions on the permit application:

Heritage Victoria should not have advertised such a major and significant permit application just before Christmas. It suggests that Heritage Victoria does not want to hear the community's views. Why not advertise it in late January or February so that people have a proper opportunity to make a submission.
The permit application was not available for public viewing at the offices of Heritage Victoria until Friday 9 December. A copy of the permit application available locally, for example in the library.

THE FORMAT OF YOUR SUBMISSION SHOULD FOLLOW THIS MODEL

[date]

Mr Ray Tonkin

Executive Director

Heritage Victoria

8 Nicholson Street

East Melbourne 3002

Dear Mr Tonkin

HOFFMAN BRICKWORKS - APPLICATION FOR PERMIT FROM HERITAGE VICTORIA

This is a submission in response to the recently advertised permit

application for the above property.

[body of submission]