26 September 2024
The State’s Planning Minister should use the new ‘Save the Cranker’ laws to provide protection to the Duke of York Hotel, say the SA Greens.
Under the bill that passed the parliament earlier this month, the State’s Planning Minister has the power to list designated live music venues. Any residential development within 60m of a designated live music venue must meet noise attenuation requirements.
“It would be disappointing to lose this iconic pub. This is an important test case for the new legislation. In many ways, the Duke of York is the Cranker 2.0. It has a long tradition as an comedy and music space, it is a going concern and it has local heritage listing,” said Greens SA Planning Spokesperson, Robert Simms MLC.
“The Minister should use this opportunity to exercise his new powers, designate this venue as a space worthy of protection and impose noise attenuation requirements on the new development. This would provide a pathway to retain the venue as a pub that can play music and offer live entertainment.”
“It’s important that any residential development isn’t able to undermine the heritage values of this iconic pub. More broadly, the Greens continue to see community right to buy as a model worthy of investigation by the Government. This would give the community the opportunity to take on iconic buildings like the Duke of York and maintain their ongoing use.”
“The Greens recognise the need for more student accommodation in the city and affordable housing in general, but once again, one must question why iconic heritage pubs are being targeted by developers when there so much vacant office stock and vacant commercial land in the CBD.”
In Question Time today the Greens asked the Government what action is being taken to protect the pub.
You can read more about the Greens ‘community right to buy’ plan here.