The long-running saga of what to do with historic Illawarra manor house Gleniffer Brae is inching closer to a resolution, with Wollongong councillors this week voting to give the public a say on a proposal to turn it into a function centre.
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Councillors also voted to exhibit an updated conservation plan for the building and surrounding gardens, which recommends that “intrusive alterations and additions” including the auditorium building occupied by the Conservatorium of Music be removed as a priority.
The historic house, originally built as a residence by the founder of Port Kembla Steelworks, has proved troublesome for the council since the start of this term.
Part of the manor house has been left unused for years, after councillors rejected a controversial University of Wollongong plan for a creative arts precinct in 2012.
Turning down the $40 million plan has been labelled by some as the councillors' worst decision to date, as it left the cash-strapped organisation with ongoing maintenance costs.
Additionally, the Conservatorium of Music has the right to lease most of the building until 2023, leaving the council with the puzzle of what to do with the remaining front rooms.
Last August, after a protracted "call for proposals" process, staff said a proposal for a "premium restaurant and function centre" would provide the best financial returns, and result in higher visitation and enhance community access.
Councillors then asked staff to review the conservation controls for the site, and prepare a rezoning proposal to allow for the function centre to go ahead.
The rezoning plan was successfully reviewed by NSW Planning late last year and forms part of a 150-page suite of documents to be placed on public exhibition.
In the conservation review, consultants Architectural Projects Pty Ltd recommended removal of the “intrusive” former SCEGGS library, which is now the auditorium used by the conservatorium.
Nine light posts, three flagpoles and “unsympathetic” garden chairs and bins should be removed and the Paul Sorenson garden reinstated, the draft conservation plan said.
It also paves the way for the function centre to go ahead, saying “performances, events and functions” are a compatible use for the site.
However, it stipulates that “all future uses must activate the key spaces of Gleniffer Brae” and notes uses that “maximise public access” are preferred.
The documents will be open for submissions for at least six weeks, with a public meeting and open day held during the exhibition period.
Kate McIlwain
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
