Community mourns the loss of Rushcutters Bay cottage

The 22 day siege of the Rushcutters Bay caretaker’s cottage has ended with residents holding a vigil complete with tributes of flowers at the site.

More than 50 bouquets of flowers with hand-written cards such as “RIP charming cottage, trees, cafe and Rory”, and more pointed comments such as “RIH Rest In Hell, Clover. AMEN”, were laid on the footpath and stuck into gaps on the fences bordering the cottage site.

Protesters were removed from the cottage by police on Friday morning.

The protesters told City News police were polite and professional at all times while performing the eviction.

Council removed the interior of the building last Friday with demolition of the building planned for later this week. Security guards were posted at the site at all times of the day and night to prevent protesters occupying the cottage again.

Despite the finality of the demolition residents remain angry at Lord Mayor Clover Moore saying she has ignored resident’s protests and failed to consult with the community ahead of the development.

“Clover’s bulldozers are riding roughshod over our heritage and she is riding roughshod over our rights” protester and former Deputy Lord Mayor Dixie Coulton said.

“Our right to be part of the planning process and our right to have a say over the cottage’s future were ignored, despite locals saying it should stay.”

Ms Moore contradicted these claims in her weekly e-bulletin and at speaking at council at the time of the vote stating the community had been repeatedly consulted over a period of almost a decade.

“In the face of a scurrilous misinformation campaign, I used my vote at Council this week to ensure this extensively consulted and carefully designed project would be completed, renewing Rushcutters Bay Park for generations to come,” she said.

“The City consulted extensively in 2006, including community workshops, surveys with households and park users, and public exhibitions of proposed designs. In response, we received more than 11,000 comments and suggestions.”

But her statements in council were contradicted by the Deputy Lord Mayor, Marcelle Hoff, who voted against the demolition stating: “sometimes you just don’t know how much you care about something until it’s almost too late”.

“Locals have placed flowers outside the site as a mark of respect for its high historical and social contribution to the area, a classification given in council’s own Conservation Management Plan,” said Dixie Coulton today.

Ms Coulton also pointed out the majority of locals surveyed at the 2006 community meetings said unequivocally they wanted the cottage retained.

Demolition of the remaining shell of the cottage is expected to occur later this week.

By Simon Black