Here’s a sad tale that demonstrates the systemic ‘blanding’ of the Gold Coast through erasure of things that create local distinctiveness, and renewal with generic forms that look like everything else, and nothing much.

Facebook post, Cr Taylor, 7 February 2023

Before long, only people who read this might be prompted to remember the twin vintage breezeblock shelters that stood in this foreshore park at Broadbeach for 50 years. They were recently demolished and replaced with new structures, in what amounts to unnecessary public spending and loss of two pieces that added character to the landscape.

SEQUENCE OF EVENTS

7 February: Division 10 Councillor Darren Taylor gave public notice in a Facebook post that the shelters would be replaced. I promptly called the council’s customer service centre and was told that works were scheduled to commence on 23 March. I also spoke with an officer in the heritage branch who was not aware of the proposal. I indicated my intention to nominate the shelters for listing in the Local Heritage Register.

8-13 February: Over several days, our Better Broadbeach Association committee consulted with local architects and planners to prepare the nomination which was submitted to the CEO, Division 10 Councillor and Heritage Branch. In a previous post titled ‘Save Our Breezeblocks’, I elaborated on why the shelters were worthy of retention.

13 February: Later that same day, council contractors surrounded the shelters with hoardings, so at dawn the next morning, several of us slipped through the barriers and occupied the shelters, to alert contractors that a heritage protection nomination was in process.

The chief contractor arrived around 7am and insisted that we vacate the site. We called the council’s after hours number and were told that no-one would be available until 8am. We left voice and text messages on Cr Taylor’s mobile and office numbers and received no response.

By historical coincidence my phone contacts had the mobile number of Alton Twine, the Community Services Director, so at 7.22am I took the liberty to call and explain the situation. We talked for 7 minutes. I felt that he understood the issues and implications, including my request to instruct a pause on demolition works while the Economy, Planning & Environment Directorate assesses the nomination for heritage listing.

At 8.15am, Tony Jermyn, the Parks Manager, turned up. He claimed the shelters were dilapidated, dismissed the value of keeping them, and said that he had a 13-page report from the heritage branch signing off on their removal.

In actual fact, both shelters were rock solid. The breezeblock walls stood straight. There were no visible cracks in the concrete slab foundations. The hardwood timber beams that supported the lightweight roof were in perfect condition. Only the corrugated roof sheeting had any sign of wearing around the screw holes - as anyone can expect of building materials that are exposed to weather and sea salt. These could be patched or replaced for minimal material cost.

Mr Jermyn ordered us to leave and we resisted, then the contractor called the police who insisted that if we stayed they would fine us for trespassing. So, we abandoned our protest. Mr Jermyn then spoke with Cr Taylor who confirmed instructions to proceed. The concrete cutters swooped in and the shelters were gone in next to no time.

3 March: More than two weeks later, Better Broadbeach Association received a letter in the post. It was dated 27 February, and signed, not by the CEO, Cr Taylor or a Heritage Branch officer, but a Parks Coordinator who reports to Mr Jermyn. The letter is flawed. It glosses over the heritage matters and fails to acknowledge that works should have been halted until the nomination was assessed and determined. It wrongly asserts that the breezeblock shelters were in poor condition and offers inexpert reason for not repairing or reassembling the roofs.

QUESTIONS THAT LINGER

Did the Parks Department get wind of our heritage listing nomination and deceitfully hurry to demolish the breezeblock shelters before we could bring public attention to the value of keeping them?
Why didn’t the Executive Director instruct contractors to pause works when advised that the shelters had been nominated to the Local Heritage Register?
What did the referral report from the heritage branch say about the shelters?
What is the cost of this unnecessary replacement project?
Was it acceptable for the councillor to instruct a council officer?
Was the recent City Plan – Heritage Amendment consultation a wasteful, disingenuous charade?

WHERE THE STORY ENDS

Unless we pay for Right To Information requests, we are unlikely to ever know the answers and since the shelters no longer exist there’s hardly any point pursuing the matter, which is apparently the outcome that the Parks Department was playing for.