Fears public will be locked out of South Melbourne Town Hall under ANAM lease proposal

Long-term users of the South Melbourne town hall claim they’ve been booted from their home, sparking fears it’s to pave the way for a music academy to take over under a multimillion-dollar plan to rejuvenate the ageing heritage building.

South Melbourne residents are concerned they will be locked out of the town hall.

Community groups say they have been told to pack up and get out of the South Melbourne Town Hall, sparking fears a proposal from the Australian National Academy of Music to take over the publicly-owned building is already a done deal.

And concerned residents say their pleas for more information have been met with deafening silence.

Save Albert Park president Peter Goad confirmed the group, which has office space at the Town Hall, was given its marching orders in October.

Mr Goad said they had been told to vacate by September this year, with Port Phillip Council promising to find them new digs.

“The council are telling us no firm decision has been made but they’re telling us we have to get out,” he said.

“It’s a mystery why we’re being tipped out.”

But Port Phillip Mayor Bernadene Voss said the need for post-flood repair works could require the hall to be vacated and no decision had been made regarding ANAM’s “unsolicited proposal”.

Cr Voss wouldn’t confirm groups had been told to leave in September but said they “might need to be relocated” for repairs.

A large section of roof collapsed in October 2018, causing water to flood parts of the 140-year-old hall.

Cr Voss said an insurance claim was “in progress” and repairs to the heritage building were expected to cost “several million dollars”.

She said if the council decided to formally consider ANAM’s proposal, “formal negotiations will occur and any intention to lease will be subject to a statutory leasing process, including community consultation”.

Former South Melbourne councillor Julie Johnson said it was “appalling” the council would consider locking the community out “of a building they pay for”.

“Ratepayers pay for the building, it belongs to the people but now it looks like they’ve done a deal to lock us out — without our consent,” she said.

ANAM has occupied about 80 per cent of the building since 1997, paying a peppercorn rent of $1000 a year to the council.

The academy also contributes about $120,000 for future upgrades to the building.

The academy last year put forward a proposal to take possession of the town hall on a 50-year lease, and plans to invest $40 million to “allow council to bring an iconic building back to life” over the next three years.

ANAM general manager Nick Bailey told the Leader the proposal would include a co-working space for community groups, as well as creating new “state-of-the-art performance spaces”.

Mr Bailey said the spaces would be available for the community to hire at a reduced rate, but could also be used for school speech nights, Comedy Festival performances and dance shows.

“It’s really a proposal for us to make (the town hall) a performing arts complex and in turn we’ll look after the building for the duration of the life of the lease,” he said.

“That way, this beautiful old building won’t be a further drain on ratepayers.

“It’s a big idea, and a very expensive idea and we think it could be key to activation of the retailers and hospitality venues in the area — if people have a reason to come here, they’ll stay to eat or shop.”

MORE:

HERE’S ONE DRAMATIC WAY TO MEND A BROKEN HEART

CHILDREN FORCED ON TO BUSY ROAD BY CROSSING CLOSURE

CRAZY WAY ST KILDA COUPLE PAID FOR DREAM PARIS WEDDING

Mr Bailey said the Federal Government had pledged $12 million, with $15 million to be raised from private donors and a further $10 million being sought from the State Government.

But he said a long-term lease was “crucial” to securing funding.

Community groups and residents say there has been little public consultation on the issue.

The matter is due to go to a council meeting next month for further considering.