The illustration: a visionary early Taylor Cullity Lethlean and ARM Architects Festival Plaza concept that makes full use of the available space, as we all expected - image Renewal SA
Good afternoon all.
Here is the iview link to Friday night's ABC TV news coverage regarding the ATO hearing in Melbourne (starts at 2:54)!
And the ABC website version
If you don't have an iview account, here's a pretty raw version captured on a phone.
Thomas Kelsall has done a brilliant job in linking in audio from the hearing from Andrew Willcox, an LNP parliamentarian from Townsville, and in person interviews with Geoff Hayter and Barbara Pocock. It changes the game for us.
What next? We suggest that you write to Thomas and congratulate him on the piece. You could ask though, would he enquire why there is construction blatantly proceeding on the site when not all approvals have been met.
Remember that this is very special public space that has been given to the developer for their own private business use for almost nothing, and that after a long process that has been heavily questioned by the Auditor General and Ombudsman.
To be clear, the work is progressing legally. What is very much disputed, including by the local development industry, is that this is very unusual. Government has allowed staged construction in advance of full approvals, whatever might be the risks associated with this sort of approach.
Any normal commercial build needs all approvals in place on the one hand, and then usually something like 70% pre-lettings, or pre-sales so the bank will release finance, on the other.
And if the Public Works Committee hearing in Melbourne into the ATO's fit out has any power at all, and challenges, or even recommends against the $73million for the fit out due to evident waste of tax payers money, the $800m building may not even have an anchor tenant, begging the question of whether the state government is going to fill the huge tower with government departments at premium rentals, year on year.
Other:
The submissions that were fully accepted are here
The audio recording of the Melbourne hearing (which commences at 30:24- with silence before)
Our second digital petition, No Plaza Tax Tower- please sign!
(notice that our probity and process document is available there also)
The Stop the Chop hard copy petition which includes Festival Plaza. Even though we well exceeded the necessary 10,000, we aim for many more!
Victoria Park Rally- Saturday July 25th at 11.00am, with much more to come!
and also
Ed and Janette's legal challenge GoFundMe in relation to Possum Park
Our account:
805 007 CUSCAL
00331035 Save Festival Plaza Alliance Robert Fa
Again, thank you,
Rob, for the Alliance
Robert Farnan
Convenor | Save Festival Plaza Alliance
O435007799
Savefestivalplaza@gmail.com
savefestivalplaza.net