Residents protest St John’s desecration

By Simon Black

Outraged residents are protesting the installation of a new kiosk-style energy substation in front of St John’s Church in Darlinghurst.

Measuring 2.7 m in length times 1.5 m wide and standing to a height of 1.6 meters the new substation will stand opposite the corner of Tewksbury Avenue and Darlinghurst road.

Local resident, Irena Storay says the proposed site will diminish the beauty of the heritage-listed St John’s Church and could even prevent tourists from visiting.

“A lot of people come through Darlinghurst and stop outside the church to take photos and relax,” she said.

“What are they going to do if this ugly thing is sitting right in front of the church?”

Residents claim that while regulations require Energy Australia to consult with the City of Sydney council there was no community consultation about the development at all.

Member of the Darlinghurst Residents Action Group, Jo Holder says the council failed to properly notify residents of the proposal and did not put forward any alternative options for the site.

“I have talked to residents and they had one leaflet about the installation delivered to an apartment block of twenty people,” she said.

Holder told City News there were other sites that could potentially be used for the site for the substation.

“This church is the centre of Darlinghurst,” she said, “and when it comes down to it we were just informed that this was going to happen and told to get used to it.”

“We petitioned our local council but they just told us it wasn’t their concern. If not them then who?”

Residents have a twenty-one day period to comment on developments such as this and the council will be taking comments until August 5.

City of Sydney council could not be reached for a comment at the time this article was published.

To make a comment about the Darlinghurst Road kiosk substation write to council@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au.