The multi-million dollar development will see the creation of the Campsie Cultural Hub on the Campsie civic precinct, offering a range of new and consolidated facilities tailored to meet the needs of both residents and workers, “a facility our community has been waiting for and deserves”.
While the majority of councillors supported the proposal, Cr Barbara Coorey was critical of the decision to knockdown the building, where she served as councillor for many years and deputy mayor on the former Canterbury Council.
“I will fight to the death on this … Over my dead body will that chamber be demolished,” she said.
“It’s an outrageous move. We want our identity, we want our history, that’s in that building.
“It’s a waste of money.”
She said the area already had a purpose-built library and not enough – maintenance – had been done to the building.
Cr Khal Asfour said the development would give the Campsie community “what it deserves”.
“It’s about making Campsie the thriving centre it should be,” he said.
“It’s a once in a generation opportunity to provide services that create a vibrant and connected community.”
He said the council building would need $17 million worth of maintenance works and “that’s just so people could walk in it and be safe”.
Welcoming the new development, Cr Clare Raffan said the old building “is like a ghost town” and not often used, while Cr Charbel Abouraad said it wasn’t feasible to keep the building and compared it to an old Datsun 120Y 1975 that was once owned by his uncle but you could never get parts and it cost too much money to keep, so he had to get a new car.
“It would be too costly,” he said.
Demolish building plan set to replace former Canterbury Council building with vibrant hub
THE council administration building in Campsie will be demolished to make way for a new central library, community and civic spaces, music hub and improvements to the Orion Centre and public domain.
