A consortium proposal to redevelop North Eveleigh into a sound stage facility for new film and television content has been pitched to government as a way to realise a long-desired bridge linking South Eveleigh with Carriageworks and the Tech Central precinct, according to the Sydney Morning Herald article, “These vacant railway yards at Redfern could be our next mega-film studios”. The article followed a pre-budget announcement of “$100 million in a capital fund to begin the hunt for the location of a second film studio for Sydney”.
A bridge at this location was promised by Premier Carr in 2004 as part of the NSW government plan to redevelop the area. Following a community push for the bridge during the 2022 North Eveleigh rezoning, an area has been set aside for a future bridge connection, but it was excluded from both the redevelopment of North Eveleigh and the Large Erecting Shop that it would have connected. The community is still waiting for a promised explanation from Transport NSW on why the bridge has not been included.
Recently the drivers of the #Buildabridge campaign, REDWatch, Friends of Erskineville and Alexandria Residents Action Group worked with Professor HY William Chan and UTS Citizen Architecture students on ideas about how to reinvigorate the campaign. Among the ideas developed by students to help tackle the problem were a magazine aimed at students, a virtual reality portal across the divide, a gamified treasure hunt and an app-guided tour around the 3.5km perimeter of the site.
Many resources were also produced including trivia questions, merchandise, infographics, technical arguments for a bridge and ways that LocalLoop, social media and Instagram could be used by the campaign.
The three groups are reviewing the material and how the campaign can be widened and reinvigorated.
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Geoff Turnbull is the spokesperson for REDWatch.
