Bethesda
Hospital
Erin
Street Richmond, Victoria
Autumn
2000 - Preservation News
Great
news on the Bethesda Hospital, Richmond
ADS has been part of a small group fighting to save the Moderne-style
Bethesda Hospital in Erin St, Richmond from demolition for a carpark,
proposed as part of a redevelopment of the privately owned Epworth Hospital.
As the local Planning Authority, the City of Yarra, did not process the
plans within the prescribed time, the Hospital and its developers appealed
to the state's peak planning authority - the Victorian Civil Administrative
Tribunal (VCAT). VCAT rejected the hospital's appeal and found that Epworth
did not establish that a net community benefit would result from the proposal.
In a landmark decision, VCAT rejected the redevelopment proposal and the Tribunal concluded that the Epworth plan was "flawed" and "inappropriate in an urban context". Needless to say, ADS is delighted with the outcome. However, this does not mean that the building is safe forever and ADS will now be initiating action to have heritage protection restored to the building. ADS received tremendous support from members of the International Coalition of Art Deco Societies and from many members. ADS wishes to thank the other members of the Epworth Development Opposition Committee for their tremendous work and to pay tribute to the work of Dr Bobbie Lederman for her tireless efforts and her presentation to VCAT.
