Residents urge review to save city's historic music hall

It has hosted some of the biggest names in the Australian music industry – the Bee Gees, The Easybeats, Dragon, Normie Rowe and Billy Thorpe and The Aztecs.

But the ageing Pioneer Hall in Wollongong‘s MacCabe Park has been deemed unsuitable for public use, meaning its days are numbered.

As reported by The Illawarra Flame, Wollongong City Council has decided to demolish the hall, saying it has structural and safety issues and is no longer fit for purpose.

The future of the hall, opened in 1953, was on the agenda at the latest meeting of Neighbourhood Forum 5 (NF5), where members questioned if something from the building could be saved “to preserve the many memories” from what was a much-loved community facility for nearly 70 years.

Preserve for a permanent stage

At its meeting, NF5 voted to ask council to put demolition plans on hold.

”It was agreed that, given the unique cultural significance of the building, Council be requested to undertake an urgent review of demolition plans for Pioneer Hall, and an investigation into the potential repurposing of elements of the hall, and to use the site to create a purpose-built stage to host future events in MacCabe Park,“ the NF5 minutes read.

With plenty of open space at the rear of the hall, it appears to be an ideal location should a permanent stage be built in MacCabe Park in future.

Youth centre forecourt review

Meanwhile, NF5 has asked council to put on hold any future changes in MacCabe Park until such time as the entire future of the park is considered through a master planning process next year.

Last month, council sought community feedback on how the forecourt outside the MacCabe Park youth centre could be used in the future.

NF5 members said the consultation, while important, should be included as valuable early input into the master planning of the park before final decisions are made.

The forum said it was essential the park’s future was determined in a holistic fashion and not a piecemeal way in the best interests of the growing number of people living close to the CBD and visitors to the city centre.

Tallest building plans rejected

NF5 wasted no time giving the thumbs down to plans announced last week for a 38-storey, 127-metre residential building – Wollongong’s tallest – on Flinders Street near North Wollongong railway station.

“It will be enormous,” NF5 convenor Jane Robertson told ABC Illawarra.

“If this does go through, then the precedent is there for the rest of the precinct along Flinders Street, our gateway to the city from the north. If we start this tall, what will the rest of Flinders Street look like? It will be an avenue of super-tall buildings.”

NF5 voted to object to the proposal, saying “the height is grossly in excess of current Council limits even when generous state government bonuses are included".

The forum also expressed concern that the proposal was on a flood plain, contrary to state policy to prohibit increases in density and the proposed floor space appeared to be in excess of all policies.

NF5 supported expansion plans for Wollongong Private Hospital which would double the size of the facility.