Apartment Owners In Sydney’s East Fight Against Heritage Listing

The City of Sydney are considering putting several inner east apartment blocks under heritage protection, but apartment owners are fighting back.

The nine buildings have architectural significance, with some being designed by architect Harry Seidler, who was the father of Australian Modernism.

Architect Philip Thalis said in an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald that the blocks were “the best apartment buildings in Australia from this era” and is advocating for their protection.

The Gateway and Gemini buildings in Potts Point; Oceana, St Ursula, Ithaca Gardens and Bayview in Elizabeth Bay; and Aquarius, Roslyn Gardens and 1-5 Clement Street in Rushcutters Bay are all up for heritage listing.

Owners ‘overwhelmingly opposed’ to changes

Residents and owners are worried that if the buildings are protected, it’ll make it more difficult for them to carry out necessary upgrades to their apartments, like electric vehicle chargers, rooftop amenities, and lift repairs.

Owner and chair of the Ithaca Gardens owners’ corporation, Jim Carroll, spoke at a council committee meeting last, voicing residents’ “overwhelming opposition” to the suggestion.

“Ithaca Gardens is not a museum, a place of worship, an office tower or an individual residence, it is home to more than 60 people. Owners … love and respect the building,” he said.

Carroll said that the “process and complexities” created by protecting the buildings- such as certain rules and regulations around renovation- would increase strata fees, deter potential buyers, and shrink sales prices.

“We spend large amounts of our own money retaining the integrity of the original side of the design, but what might have been perfect in the 1950s may not be so perfect now, and we want to retain flexibility to meet the needs and expectations of owners while retaining the design integrity of Ithaca Gardens, as we’ve done for 65 years without the need for heritage listing,” Carroll said.

Councillors will debate the changes to planning controls that would add the buildings to the local heritage list at a meeting tonight.