Staff, residents in shock as Addison Road Community Centre evicts Bowers from its Marrickville home

Sydney’s largest recycling reuse and repair centre has been evicted from its Marrickville home, throwing the future of the long running institution into jeopardy.

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Sydney’s largest recycling reuse and repair centre has been evicted from its Marrickville home, throwing the future of the long running institution into jeopardy.

Staff at the Bower Reuse and Repair Centre turned up to work on Monday morning to discover the locks to the organisation’s headquarters had been changed and an eviction notice pinned to the front door.

Reading “trespassers will be prosecuted”, the notice was served by the Addison Road Community Centre Organisation (ARCCO) which has leased the crown lands site to Bower since 1998.

Bower general manager Guido Verbist outside the Bower. Picture: John Appleyard

Bower general manager Guido Verbist said the move had stunned the organisation’s 50 staff members and countless more volunteers.

A petition to save the centre had meanwhile topped 1000 signatures by noon on Monday as dozens of residents gathered outside the building in a show of support.

Mr Verbist said the reason ARCCO had given for the eviction was based on a compliance notice issued by Inner West Council, relating to two 10-year-old buildings constructed at the site without approval from the former Marrickville council.

Mr Verbist said Bower had attempted to resolve the matter with the council through a plan to voluntarily demolish the buildings, which are used as a workshop and men’s shed.

The Bower holds workshops where people can learn skills on recycling goods.

“Within an hour of receiving the notice of intent by the council we were told by ARCCO that we’ve breached our lease which is grounds for eviction,” he said.

“The situation can be easily resolved and we had a plan to correct the wrong. Instead we’re being kicked out.”

“We just celebrated our 20 year anniversary last Saturday. To have this happen has been devasting.”

The Addison Road Community Centre said the decision to evict Bowers had “been made with the intention of ensuring the safety and sustainability of the centre for all users and tenants”

Supporters of the Bower gather outside the building on Monday. Picture: John Appleyard

A spokeswoman for the centre said: “This comes after more than two years of attempted mediation and negotiations with (The Bower) which have unfortunately failed.”

Mr Verbist said the eviction came as ARCCO had requested Bower pay higher rent for the site, currently charged at $20,000 per year.

Without a resolution, Mr Verbist said that the organisation would be forced into closure.

“We’re doing everything we can to fight this but if we can’t reopen we’ll have to go into administration. There’s no alternative,” he said.

A council spokeswoman said inspections at the site were carried out following a complaint about “the current state of the Bower.”

“The site was inspected during which breaches were identified, and notices and orders issued which required demolition of unauthorised building works and the reinstatement of the building to the approved plan,” she said.

“To date there has been no formal applications submitted to council”.

Mayor Darcy Byrne indicated the compliance order “could be resolved without eviction” and that he would like to see the Bower stay.

Cr Byrne has offered to mediate between the parties but as of noon on Monday, ARCCO had not responded.

The ARCCO spokeswoman “we are unable to explain further details of the disagreement at this stage” as the process was subject to “an ongoing legal” process.