Reverse Garbage ‘at significant risk’ of following The Bower out the door
The inner west is at risk of losing another major reuse centre amid proposed rent hikes and ongoing disputes at the Addison Rd Community Centre.
THE inner west is at risk of losing another major reuse centre amid proposed rent hikes and ongoing disputes at the Addison Rd Community Centre.
Reverse Garbage has confirmed its future at the centre “is at significant risk”— just two days after The Bower was evicted from the Marrickville complex.
In a statement to the Inner West Courier, Reverse Garbage chair Yvette Andrews said the like-minded organisation stood in solidarity with The Bower “as leading social enterprises in reuse” and said both had a “long history of unresolved issues” at the centre.
Reverse Garbage, which has been a tenant for more than 40 years, is facing a rent hike from $69,586 to $224,000 a year on top of “substantial” electricity, water and maintenance costs.
In statement posted on Facebook, the Addison Road Community Centre Organisation (ARCCO) hit back and said the two anchor tenants, widely considered as the soul of the sustainable complex, “have not been targeted”.
“They both happen to run shops at (the centre) and because they derive retail revenue from their operations, they were asked to pay a higher rate than other types of tenants, such as community services that rely on shrinking government funding, in line with a new rental policy introduced by the Centre’s Board in 2016,” the statement said.
But Ms Andrews disputed this.
“ARCCO has proposed this rental increase on a questionable appraisal of the commercial rent potential of our facilities and the fact that ARCCO have decided our primary activity is the sale of goods,” she said.
“We are a not for profit, income-tax exempt, registered charity,” she said.
“The centre diverts on average five tonnes of industrial waste from landfill each week and all its revenue is reinvested in education and reuse.
“Our warehouse has a leaking roof and a sinking floor that is certainly not up to ‘market’ standards.
“We were directed to clear 25 per cent of our floor by ARCCO in April 2018 without any rental reduction or timeline for repair.
“If the situation at Addison Rd is not resolved, the future of Reverse Garbage at the centre is at significant risk.”
The ARCCO statement said it was “not reasonable” for The Bower to pay “only $400 a week for a building nearly 300sq m plus yard in Marrickville with use of a shared car park, roads, toilets and green space”.
It added the eviction was after The Bower had been given notice it had breached its lease and 21 days to remedy them “which they failed to do”.
“It is expensive and difficult dealing with uncooperative tenants, no matter how good their work is or how popular they are.
“The Centre has 43 tenants, many programs, many community partners and many thousands of users whose needs also need to be considered, along with the safety and compliance of the entire site.
“We appreciate the community’s support for the Bower but the matter is not as simple as it seems. We call on all concerned to remain respectful and avoid harassment of the Centre’s staff and volunteers.”
The Bower general manager Guido Verbist said there had been“different tactics over five years” to push them out of the centre to make way for the ARCCO’s own programs.
This included changing the term of the lease from five to two years and proposing a rent hike from $20,000 to $60,000 a year.
“This is a distraction from ARCCO’s main agenda which is to take possession of the building and run its own programs,” Mr Verbist said.
“Bower and Reverse Garbage represent the most space to allow that and the most attractive buildings.”
The Bower has reached out to the Department of Primary Industries to investigate the matter further including whether ARCCO has a conflict of interest.
Mr Verbist said a structural engineer had approved partial demolition and remedial works to the two non compliant buildings.
He was hopeful a solution could be reached between the parties otherwise they would commence legal action through the Supreme Court of NSW.
“Our Marrickville staff are working from a bus parked out the front of our Addison Rd store until we can reclaim it again,” he said
“We invite members of the public to come down and talk with us, and will be putting on BBQs and music every evening until Friday.”
IN OTHER NEWS
Mayor Darcy Byrne said it was “totally unnecessary for The Bower to be evicted”.
He said unauthorised building works for which council issued a compliance order were “minor” and could be “easily resolved”.
“Rhere’s no need for that to be the catalyst for the eviction of one of Sydney’s best loved reuse and sustainability organisations.”
A petition on change.org in support of The Bower has now been signed by more than 12500 people and a crowd-funding campaign to enable the Bower’s legal fight is on track to hit its first goal of $10,000.
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