The Unley Council plan on knocking down the heritage listed building in which the Unley Kindergarten sits, to make way for a high rise apartment block.

The site they wish to develop is in the heart of the Unley Council precinct. It consists of the Council Chambers, library, Unley Museum, Unley Kindergarten, the Village green and more.

For families in the area, many children start at the Unley Early Learning Centre on the north-western corner of Oxford Terrace and Rugby Street should they need care during business hours. They then continue on to The Unley Kindergarten on the south-western corner of Oxford Terrace and Rugby Street. Then a short walk a little further south down Rugby Street is Unley Primary School where the children continue on to Primary School. It is like a rite of passage for children living in the area and there's a great community of families together with the staff at the Unley Early Learning Centre, Unley Kindergarten and Unley Primary School.

Mayor of Unley Lachlan Clyne has been quoted saying 'A redevelopment will preserve our heritage, keep the Village Green yet bring a modern higher density living into the heart of our City'* Yet the Kindergarten site is heritage listed. Demolishing it to make way for a high rise building, isn't not preserving the heritage of the building or the institution that is the Unley Kindergarten.

According to the Unley Council Website* 'Under the plan, historical features would be retained including the Town Hall, former Council offices and current museum building all of which are Local Heritage listed'. However it fails to mention the Unley Kindergarten building which is also heritage listed.

This is not a petition asking the council to scrap its plans for revitalising the area and increasing the population of the area, it is about the fact there are many many other locations that would suit the development they are proposing which would equally achieve its goals such as population growth. For example there was approval for a high rise building to be built on Unley Road, only a few hundred metres away from the Town hall where the only buildings that would have been demolished were shops, half of which are currently vacant, not a heritage listed building that houses the Unley Kindergarten, which along with early learning centre and primary school are a very important part of the Unley community.

It's also about the council not picking and choosing which heritage listed buildings can and cannot be demolished. They have been heritage listed for a reason!

Please support us, the local families in the area to keep our community strong and thriving and push the council to look at alternate solutions for achieving the population growth it needs, without knocking down a heritage building and displacing the Unley Kindergarten.

Yours sincerely,

Local families and community members of Unley

*Source: Unley Council Website