Jehovah’s Witnesses Australasia headquarters: plans decided
A decision has been made on bold new plans to revitalise the Australasian headquarters of a religious group, helping it create educational materials in the digital age.
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Bold plans to redevelop the Australasian headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses have been approved.
The Sydney Western City Planning Panel met on Monday to determine the proposal via teleconference due to restrictions placed on public gatherings as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
Under the $9.9 million plans, the existing printery facility at the organisation’s Denham Court headquarters on Zouch Rd will be altered to build a film studio, where digital religious educational materials are to be produced.
Digital resources include short videos and website materials used for religious worship, instruction and training, according to planning documents.
The changes will allow Jehovah’s Witnesses Australasia, which already produces more than 400 videos a year to be used globally, to strengthen its presence in the digital world.
“The religious educational material is often made up of dramatising modern scenarios
and re-enacting life in Bible times,” planning documents state.
“In all instances, the videos give insight and practical guidance on how to apply Bible principles.”
The site owner and applicant, the International Bible Students Association, also sought permission to add a new office building and a replica of an historical Bible site in an existing farm paddock for filming purposes.
The rural headquarters are currently home to a printery building which produces hard-copy publications for audiences in Australia, New Zealand and islands in the South Pacific.
A spokesman for Jehovah’s Witnesses — Australasia told the Leader in January the demand for digital religious resources had grown.
“This technology is another effective means to make Bible education available to as many as possible.”
The proposed replica Biblical site would feature “some ancient Biblical buildings that will be consistent with the rural setting and consider the privacy of our neighbours”, the spokesman said.
The planning panel indicated it will release the conditions of consent electronically over the coming week.