I can share what I understand about the site from prior research.

1. Clearing rubbish from any site is problematic for Council (refer recent reports about a problem in the Eastern Suburbs. The issue could be further complicated if the land is still owned by the Commonwealth.

2. The proponents leased the land from the Commonwealth with an option to purchase after the property was vacated. They may not yet have exercised their option or the finalisation of a change of ownership may not have been completed. I assume that the Council information would be correct at the time they checked.

3. There is no legal instrument enshrining the public right of access to the site. The signs in Greville St advising a public right of access on weekends were installed by the Commonwealth as an act of good faith (as was leaving the front gates open on weekends). The proponent in the past has indicated that they have no  problems with public access continuing to the site. When development is completed, this will not be a ‘gated’ community. Even when the gates are locked, there is a pedestrian thoroughfare open to the left of the main gates.

The Range Street gates have never had an advisory access sign associated with them. The owner of nearby shopped negotiated that the gates be open between (I think) 10AM – 4PM weekdays to allow workers from the site to access the shop. I don’t believe there was any discussion about the public using that entrance to access the site. However, I believe that public access via the Range St gates would be consistent. The problem at the moment is that there would be limited (or no) security personnel on the site during the day. However, if the buildings are to be demolished I don’t see why they would care if the gates was open.

I believe that as part of the development that there will be a pedestrian access via Range Rd.

Please feel free to keep me informed about goings-on at the site.