Collingwood Children's Farmlands | Saved! |
30th May 2011 - The decision we've been waiting for! Heritage Victoria rejects school building on St Mary's Paddock paddock!
Yes, on the last day of May we've been informed that Heritage Victoria has rejected the application - on heritage grounds, of course, but acknowledging some 2,400 objections from the public.
The Coalition comprising CARA and the Collingwood Children's Farm, established to preserve this paddock and the other paddocks under Convent title, will continue the campaign to get the remaining paddocks some ongoing permanent protection from other present and future threats.
The Public meeting scheduled for Saturday, 4th June, will assume a celebratory air, thanking all those 2,400 objectors (you know who you are) and will consider where to from here.
Heritage Victoria Reject Application (PDF)
Thanks to the 2,400 objectors and the National Trust and the City of Yarra.
We expect the Convent won't be inclined to appeal the decision...
Fight History
SAVE St Mary's Paddock
The Abbotsford Convent and Sophia Mundi Steiner School are threatening Collingwood Children's Farmlands with a proposal to build new classrooms.
We will oppose this development and are seeking your support.
Dear Farm Members & Community
You may have heard about a proposal that has been put by the Abbotsford Convent and the Sophia Mundi Steiner School for new buildings to be put on St Mary's Paddock. We have only recently heard about this proposal ourselves.
The Committee of Management will be making a submission to Heritage Victoria opposing the development. We see all of the rural land in our precinct as being precious regardless of whether it is part of the Collingwood Children's Farm or the Abbotsford Convent.
We invite you to express your view. Your actions will help our case.
Sign our online petition
Campaign Update | May 2011
The latest blog post puts the campaign to save St Mary's Paddock into context (our coalition to save the paddock is not against the Steiner school but rather defending the pastoral use of the paddocks under control of the Convent by the Childrens Farm). The blog post also explains how CARA was active right from the beginning of the Foundation's governance of the Convent precinct to ensure the preservation of the paddocks for this heritage purpose.
Please come along to the Public meeting at the Farm on Saturday 4th June at 10.30am to support the campaign.
Abbotsford Precinct Heritage Farmlands
More significant now but will this status protect St Mary's Paddock?
Collingwood and Abbotsford Residents' Association Inc. (CARA) recently received a copy of the Heritage Victoria (HV) Newly Revised Statement of Significance for the Abbotsford Convent, in particular, the farmlands of the precinct.
This review was undertaken whilst HV considers the Convent proposal to build an additional school building on the St Mary's Paddock for its tenant, the Sophia Mundi Steiner school, with Federal funding under the Building the Education Revolution (BER).
May 2011 Update
Read Media release Abbotsford Farmlands (PDF)
We are seeking an immediate meeting with the Minister for Planning, Matthew Guy MLC, states CARA President, Fred Allen. 'The management of the Abbotsford Convent appear hellbent on not only ignoring strong public sentiment firmly against the proposal, but the fact that they were given responsibility for preserving, not destroying, this unique public asset.
Whilst we sympathise with Sophia Mundi, the business operations of it as a private school should not excuse the taking of any land away from the Children's Farm. Of great concern is the fact that the proposal (to Heritage Victoria) contained errors of historical fact and accuracy, as well as not including important design elements. How can a proposal be correctly assessed without full disclosure?
Sign our online petition
❊ Address ❊
℅ Yalla-birr-ang
⊜ St Heliers Street Collingwood 3066 View Map
❊ Web Links ❊
➼ Collingwood Children's Farmlands | Saved!
➼ www.farm.org.au
➼ www.gopetition.com
➼ www.cararesidents.wordpress.com
➼ www.abbotsfordconvent.com.au
➼ Abbotsford Convent Foundation (Facts)
➼ Media release Abbotsford Farmlands (PDF) May 2011
➼ Heritage Victoria Reject Application (PDF)
➼ www.scribd.com
❊ Also See... ❊
➼ Collingwood Children's Farm
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