There has been a lot of hype recently around Transport-Oriented-Development (TOD) and Heritage Conservation Areas (HCAs).

Firstly, a distinction needs to be made between an individually listed heritage item and an HCA. Whereas an individually listed heritage property which appears in Schedule 5 of an LEP can be termed as an item, a conservation area contains three classes of buildings within them. In order of importance, they are contributory, neutral and detracting.

Contributory items are considered as exemplars of the HCA. Theoretically, they ought to be retained. Yet, under the TOD scheme, if necessary, they can be demolished.

The current housing crisis in Sydney and many other regional and/or employment centres throughout Australia has loomed large to crisis point. Politically, the housing crisis is the most important portfolio of the Minns Government and considerable planning has already taken place. Heritage appears to have taken a back seat.

In other words, it will be a foregone conclusion that many contributory items will be demolished to make way for high- and medium-rise apartment buildings. Councils have had ample opportunity to individually list some of the contributory items, i.e., raise them up to heritage-listed status. The argument from the Minns Government is that; since many local governments have decided not to individually list the contributory items in the past, under the TOD scheme, they have become vulnerable, unprotected and threatened by demolition.

Whose fault is this? We all know that listing campaigns are a thing of the past. Most of the metropolitan councils have for many years been reluctant to embark on listing campaigns due to their political complexity, and sometimes toxically, corrosive nature. Therefore, heritage has been caught on the hop and now nothing can be done about it. We are forced to understand that under the TOD scheme, contributory items can be demolished and nobody can stop it.

Personally, I am in favour of the Minns Government, which is currently actively engaged in the housing supply problem. Even though I am a heritage architect, I understand that new housing comprised of high- and medium-rise development within HCAs will take place. It is both necessary and required.

Instead of rejecting such development, one needs to recognise that there is a compromise. Design excellence is the key. By way of compromise, the new housing needs to acknowledge the heritage nature of development sites within HCAs. To this end, interpretation is essential.

What does this mean? It means that high- and medium-rise designs by architects need to facilitate historic and aesthetic references comprised in all the foregoing architecture, i.e., the buildings that are contributory in nature but are scheduled for demolition.

In light of the above, I foresee that the demolition of contributory buildings within an HCA is a foregone conclusion. I urge my fellow peers not to reject the efforts of the Minns Government.

Instead, by way of compromise, we should be encouraging an interpretive approach. Let the new buildings reflect the old ones (physically and aesthetically) and let them contain ample references to the older housing stock, instead of harsh juxtapositions which are bound to engender severely negative outcomes.

Paul Rappoport

Conservation Architect and Heritage Planner

27 February 2025

Image references:

First National Regency Realty. 605/129-135 Harrington Street, The Rocks NSW 2000. Photograph. Domain. April 2023. 605/129-135 Harrington Street, The Rocks | Property Value Estimate & History | Domain

Jim. Erskineville, railway station. Sydney-City and Suburbs. Photograph. Blogspot. May 13, 2009. Sydney – City and Suburbs: Erskineville, railway station

The Architectural Insider. Timeline History of Arrival Sequence and Significant Events. Architectural Design Site Analysis Historic Timeline. Video. YouTube. December 21, 2024. Bing Videos

Waldek, Stefanie. Barbican Centre. Beautiful Drawings by the World’s Most Famous Architects. Drawing. Architectural Digest. January 29, 2019. Beautiful Drawings by the World’s Most Famous Architects | Architectural Digest