Built in the 1970s for public housing, the Sirius Building in The Rocks has been a part of the Sydey community and culture for over 30 years.
However, the Cumberland Street apartment block is now under threat from NSW Government plans for redevelopment, with most tenants having already moved out.
Hundreds of protesters have opposed the plans to replace the 1979 building with apartments boasting million-dollar views and price tags to match.
Sirius is a fine example of the Brutalist architectural style, especially in its use of off-the-form concrete and the stacking of cubic components to create a harmonious whole. It is also significant as an early example of rooftop landscape gardening. As such, it is featured on a number of architectural websites and in international architectural literature. The building was named after the First Fleet ship, HMS ‘Sirius’. The building has high social significance as it took form in 1978–1979 in the wake of the Green Bans movement opposed at the 1970s proposed wholesale redevelopment of The Rocks and Millers Point. The Sirius building provided affordable public housing in its 79 apartments, housing approximately 200 people potentially displaced by other developments in the area. It has been policy to house a social mix of young and old, and of large and small families.
Today the community group announced a Union Green Ban on the site, as well as a slate of high-profile ambassadors supporting a crowd-funded legal challenge against the NSW Baird Government.
The Save Our Sirius Foundation have raised more than $35,000 in two weeks to take the government to court over the controversial decision. They want the government to realise that culture and community are worth more than the real estate value of important sites.
Apart from this, a full list of Save Our Sirius Ambassadors including Jack Mundey, Clover Moore, original Architect Tao Gofers and the comedian Tim Ross has been released.
In a statement, CFMEU NSW State Secretary Brian Parker said just over 40 years ago NSW’s building unions stood with the community to save the historic Rocks from development. “Those Green Bans protected our heritage from the wrecking ball and ensured working people remained an integral part of the Sydney CBD community,” Mr Parker said.
“Now the Baird Liberal Government is determined to erase the victories of 40 years ago by giving the green light to developers. “The Sirius building is not only an important piece of Sydney’s architectural history – it is one of the last areas of public housing remaining in the district. “The removal of public housing residents from Millers Point to make way for the city’s elite shows us what will happen if Sirius should fall. “The top end of town moves in and ordinary working people are locked out of the suburbs they have called home for more than a century. “The CFMEU will not stand by and watch this happen. We will stand with the residents of Sirius and fight to save their homes.”
On 17th September, the Save Our Sirius Foundation has also organised a protest rally to show the NSW Government that the Sirius building represents more than a cash-grab. At the end of the day, the donations added up to over $50,690$, an incredible amount compared to the original goal of $35,000.
This huge amount of donations shows that Sirius still has a big place in the hearts of many Sydney siders. Will this call from Sirius’ defenders actually make the NSW Government change its mind or will the project keep going on like planned before?