Heritage NSW slaps last-minute heritage protection order on Ryde Civic Centre

The demolition of Ryde Civic Centre has been scuppered at the last minute, after Heritage NSW imposed a protection order just days before bulldozers were due to move in.

Plans for the Ryde Civic Centre redevelopment.

Decade-long plans to knock down the Ryde Civic Centre and replace it with a new $108 million council facility have been scuppered at the last minute, after Heritage NSW imposed an 11th-hour heritage protection order just days before demolition was due to begin.

Heritage NSW confirmed to The Daily Telegraph late on Friday afternoon that work to demolish and revamp the “iconic” 1960s-era office block would be suspended for at least 40 days under section 136 of the Heritage Act.

Plans to demolish Ryde Civic Centre have been delayed by a last-minute heritage protection order. Picture: Angelo Velardo/AAP

“This will be in place while assessment of its potential heritage significance is undertaken by Heritage NSW,” a spokesman said.

“The owner of the iconic 1964 international style office building, City of Ryde Council, has been notified that no demolition works can progress for a period of 40 days whilst the order is in force.

“Should the Heritage Council’s assessment find that the building may have local or state heritage values, a further action ... for an Interim Heritage Order could be considered by the Heritage Council.”

The demolition of Ryde Civic Centre, a “cutting-edge” example of 1960s modernist construction, has been coming for a decade, but its impending demise led to a fresh outpouring of criticism.

Developer advocacy group Urban Taskforce on Friday morning lodged a last-ditch urgent request for an interim heritage order to be placed upon the site ahead of demolition, citing “hypocrisy” by Ryde Council, who it accused of neglecting the heritage of the site.

Urban Taskforce CEO Tom Forrest said if commercial developers did the same they “would be hung out to dry”.

Urban Taskforce CEO Tom Forrest

Ryde Mayor Jerome Laxale.

Ryde Mayor Jerome Laxale told the Telegraph the council was considering legal action after the order was placed.

“Council is reviewing all our legal options. It is astounding that on the same day developers complain the state government orders a stop to a project that has the support of 85 per cent of the Ryde community,” he said.

“We will fight this developer-led push. They have no interest in the Ryde community, all they want is our land to build apartments on.”

Mr Forrest said it was “great news” Heritage NSW was stepping in, saying it would provide “a thorough and independent” assessment of the site.

“The development industry never likes to see a process gone through where it takes last-minute actions to get the right result, but in this case it’s great news,” he said.

Opened amid great fanfare in 1964, SafeWork NSW deemed the seven-storey centre, hailed as an iconic example of post-war modernist construction, unsafe in 2015, with staff moving out of the building shortly after.

How the plaza and open space could look in the upgraded Ryde Civic Centre site.

Concept plans for the building’s redesign were unveiled as early as 2011, with the North Sydney Planning Panel eventually approving the current proposal — including a public plaza, retail precinct, new art gallery, food stores and a 700-person performance hall — late last year.

Prior to Heritage NSW’s decision, Mr Laxale said that without action “the entire site is unusable” and wasn’t “fit for purpose”.

He said the Heritage Council had previously deemed the building not worthy of listing.

“From local residents, businesses, schools and community groups, the overwhelming majority of Ryde is behind this project as it will deliver the services and the facilities they have been crying out for and are vital for our rapidly growing population,” he said.