According to a Facebook posting by Save The Palace, “One of the tribunal members who presided over the hearing of this matter is a member of the National Trust. Until this time the National Trust (Vic) was unaware that the tribunal member was one of its approximate 23,000 Victorian members.
“The parties have now received notice from the permit applicant (building owner Jinshan Investment Group) that it is seeking to have the Tribunal members considering the Palace Theatre matter reconstituted and the hearing re-heard. The parties are considering this information and will communicate with the tribunal in the appropriate forum.”
The post added, “The parties strongly request that those members of the community holding an interest in the future of the Palace Theatre refrain from all public or social media comment on these recent matters while the Parties consider the position expressed by the permit applicant. Such commentary may not assist the Parties in conducting the matter. The Parties do not consider it appropriate to make further comment at this time.”
Last month, Andrew Walker representing the National Trust at the VCAT told the hearing that the Palace case was a “test case” to establish if the historical and social history of an old building could be a criteria to stop it from being demolished, rather than just its architecture, as is generally the case.
Jinshan took the Melbourne City Council after it failed to make a decision on an application to demolish the building within the time frame. Jinshan wants to build a seven storey hotel, after its 2013 plan for a 30-level tower. The Council has strengthened the building’s heritage protection.
Meantime, the auction of Palace memorabilia from 1993 to 2014 by its former operators was a big success, with half the items snapped up. It was held last weekend at 1000 Pound Bend in Little Lonsdale St, with posters, ticket stubs and t-shirts among the long list of items.
Such was the enthusiasm from collectors and Palace Theatre nostalgics that people had gathered outside an hour before the exhibition/auction started. By the time it got underwear, the queue went around the block. The hottest items were those by Queens of the Stone Age, Jane’s Addiction and Wilco.
The remaining items – including the fridge from the main dressing room – will go up for auction online in a few weeks, keep an eye on palace.com.au.
This weekend the former operators will have the latest of its garage sales to dispose of the former club’s assets. These include furniture, lighting, production and tools. It is held over Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 4pm at 11 Cromwell Parade, West Footscray.
