Richmond Football Club want to demolish the historic 1915 Punt Rd Oval Grandstand, known today as the Jack Dyer stand, in order to build a new stand with underground carparking, more seating and secure a larger training surface.
We stand in opposition to this plan.
The City of Melbourne have never had this structure assessed for heritage protection in one of many serial failings by our public officals here.
The building is not the oldest, but the largest, most typical and most in tact remaining turn of the century grandstand in Victoria. On that basis, we say it belongs on the State Heritage Register, and we will be asking Heritage Victoria to adjudicate that.
We also call on the Planning Minister, Richard Wynne to reject this proposal, on the grounds that the proper public protections have never been in place, with Council never having had the structure assessed for significance.
The Tigers have, like a spoiled child, threatened to leave their historic home since 1885 if they are not allowed to demolish it - having already been permitted to build a miniature Bunnings next door to it.
Many options exist for the retention and modernisation of the structure that have not been explored. The most obvious solution would be to relocate the structure within the envelope of the new development.
The State Government is already contributing significant funds to this project, and we call on the government to look at providing additional funding to ensure the historic grandstand continues to define, contribute, and speak to the remarkable history of one of the world's premeir sporting precincts.
The loss of the former rail workshops instead of incorporating them into Melbourne Park has already impoverished the precinct enough. Our actual sporting heritage deserves so much better.
PETITION COMING SOON
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Image By DustyNail - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=79298525