The importance of Redfern station from heritage and operational perspectives, its role as a railway gateway and its significance as a meeting place for the Aboriginal population have been referred to in many government reports and plans for the precinct.
The high heritage value of platforms 6 and 7 is noted in the architects’ report recommending the upgrade, described in an extract from the State Heritage listing as an “element [of Redfern station] which demonstrates heritage values in its own right and makes a significant contribution to the place’s heritage values”.
The RTBU RMA objects to the proposed upgrade to the heritage-listed platforms. We are concerned about the lack of a coherent plan to address heritage, railway transport and development issues in the Eveleigh precinct.
The architects’ report recommending the upgrade is based on a 2015 engineering study. The changes since this date directly impacting on Redfern station are of such a magnitude that the upgrade should not proceed until the report is revised.
The Redfern precinct is undergoing a major transformation with the UrbanGrowth Central to Eveleigh corridor development, the Mirvac/CBA development at the former Australian Technology Park (ATP) site and the new Metro rail line from Central Station to Bankstown, which will not pass through Redfern station.
The proposed upgrade of platforms 6 and 7 involves the demolition of the existing platform surface and platform retaining walls which were built in the period 1891 to 1912. In recent years a number of temporary ameliorative measures have been undertaken to ensure rail safety is maintained. The report notes that “retention of the wall is not viable in the long run … the current ground anchors (in the wall) are only designed to remain effective for at least the next five years at which point there will need to be a decision to continue with temporary anchors and to reconstruct” and that “following strict heritage principles the right option would be to reconstruct the wall in face brick as original”.
The option chosen for the upgrade of platforms 6 and 7, namely to demolish and reconstruct rather than repair key heritage elements, was selected because it would have the least impact on rail operations. The report stated that “it is operationally impossible to be able to close the line for a minimum of 3-6 months”. There was no comparison of the cost of the various options or the impact on the travelling public outlined in the report. The RTBU RMA sees this as a major oversight given the opportunities presented by the closure of the Bankstown line.
Platforms 6 and 7, an island platform, presently serves the Inner West and Bankstown lines. The Bankstown line is to be privatised as part of the larger Metro line project and rerouted from Central to Sydenham bypassing Redfern station. The new Bankstown line is projected to be operational by 2024. The second stage of the Metro project is estimated to cost $11.6 to $12.5 billion and will include the upgrade of all 11 stations on the privatised Bankstown line.
While specific dates have yet to be announced, in mid 2016 the government announced that the Bankstown line would be closed for a period of 7-12 months with trains replaced by buses. The report doesn’t take into account the closure and opportunities for alternatives presented by these Bankstown line developments.
The report did not take into account the impact of concurrent works at the station e.g. lift replacement (an issue which has a 60-year history) nor associated factors including workplace, health and safety impacts.
The report acknowledges the deleterious impact the favoured option will have on the heritage values of Redfern station in these terms: “The proposed works will have a major impact on the heritage significance of Redfern railway station both in the demolition and new construction, the demolition will impact on the physical structure that is of high significance and critical to the overall heritage significance of the station … the proposed works will result in the removal in significant fabric which is in contravention of the underlying principles of the Burra Charter.”
The report also acknowledges the lack of an integrated approach to heritage at Redfern station, for example, “the overhead booking office is in need of desperate conservation work … the remedial work to the stones facing Lawson Street is in need of urgent attention”. The RTBU RMA argues this is symptomatic of a wider failure to address heritage in the Eveleigh railway precinct in a holistic way. We argue further that there is a gradual but perceptible decline in the governance of heritage issues in the precinct exacerbated by changes to government departments, planning decision making and privatisation of public assets. We have argued in many submissions that governance structures for the precinct need to be reformulated.
With the increasing role of the private sector in the ATP and North Eveleigh redevelopment, combined with the UrbanGrowth Central to Eveleigh corridor redevelopment and the new Metro line, only swift and decisive action by the NSW government can provide synchronicity between development, heritage and a significant upgrade of the Redfern railway station.
In our view an overall, transport, heritage and precinct plan for the Redfern area should be prepared immediately, with these issues clear integrated, resources allocated and firm timetables set.
