The State Administrative Tribunal (SAT) tonight ruled in favour of the City of Subiaco, upholding building orders served on property owner Sanur in March which aimed to reopen the full extent of Hay Street.
This is a great outcome for the whole community of Subiaco, and all who value the built heritage of WA. The heritage area in the Subiaco town centre is a unique example of a primarily retained commercial precinct from the early years of Perth’s development.
Sanur is now compelled to undertake stabilisation works at 424-436 Hay Street so that the balance of Hay Street can be reopened safely. They will also have to undertake remedial works at 440 Hay Street.
“It’s regrettable that Sanur appealed these orders; if they had complied when they were served, the City would have been able to reopen the full extent of Hay Street much earlier and save businesses a lot of anxiety,” Acting CEO Cliff Frewing said.
“This closure has had a huge impact on businesses and the community, and has cost everyone involved a lot of money, time and stress.
“I continue to implore Sanur to comply with these orders expeditiously so we can reopen the full extent of Hay Street and our businesses located on this arterial road can get back to thriving.
“It would be very disappointing if Sanur chose to launch yet another appeal and continued to drag the City through lengthy legal proceedings to the further detriment of local businesses and the community.
"This is the best possible outcome for our community, our local businesses, and the heritage of Subiaco.”
SAT agreed with the City that the buildings at 424-436 and 440 Hay Street have heritage significance and contribute positively to the Rokeby Road and Hay Street Heritage area.
The stabilisation works on 424-436 Hay Street will need to be undertaken by Friday 6 August; the remedial works on 440 Hay Street will need to be undertaken by Friday 10 September.
To view the full decision, please visit the
SAT website.
What makes these buildings special?
Subiaco residents value heritage and character as part of their local identity, and protecting this heritage is part of the Strategic Community Plan – the community mandate to the City.
These buildings have heritage significance and contribute positively to the Rokeby Road and Hay Street Heritage area – something that the WA Heritage Council acknowledged earlier this year.
The two-storey building at 440 Hay Street is 110 years old and is a rare early example of a picture theatre in suburban Perth.
The buildings at 424-436 were built in 1921 in the Federation Free Classical Style and are an aesthetically pleasing and cohesive example of an Inter War row of seven shops with residences at the rear.
The buildings contribute to the heritage area and provide an important context to landmark buildings such as the nearby Subiaco Hotel and Regal Theatre. Combined they help to present a balanced and authentic representation of the traditional aesthetic character of the City's town centre. Their loss would erode the heritage significance and character of the area as a whole.