Signed in as:
filler@godaddy.com
Signed in as:
filler@godaddy.com
TO: steve.georganas.mp@aph.gov.au
SUBJECT: Crown and Anchor HotelBODY:
BODY:
Dear Steve Georganas MP,
We call on you to protect the 171-year-old Crown and Anchor Hotel (aka ‘The Cranker’) from demolition.
Specifically, we request that Minister Nick Champion urgently implement a policy in line with Recommendation 12 of the Planning System Implementation Review by separating the assessment of heritage-listed places from the PDI Act.
This policy must also ensure proper cultural and heritage preservation until legislative changes can be passed.
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Say something personalise your letter here. Feel free to pluck some details from your SCAP proposal.
Please include a short something about how the Cranker factors into your life. No need to overthink it.
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The Cranker is one of the few commercially successful live music venues Adelaide has left. We know that you are passionate about people not being ripped off to see live music and we can assure you that when gigs are still $10 to $20 for local and interstate acts here, there is no ticket scalping going on. It is often still just a ticket and a stamp on the door. It’s having a beer with the drummer after the gig and debating if it is Keith Moon, John Bonham or Ginger Baker that knocked out the best drum solo in some of those classic years of rock.
It is a grassroots venue with a huge community vibe which prides itself on the safety and wellbeing of its patrons. The Cranker is renowned for being a welcoming and affordable haven for a diverse multicultural crowd (including international uni students). For over 30 years, it has continued to thrive when so many others struggle or fail and publican, Tom Skipper, wishes to continue trading indefinitely. It hosts live music seven nights a week (the only pub in the city to do so). The only threat to its continuing business is the current development proposal.
In these times where we see increased wealth inequality, having a safe and affordable haven for people in the cultural hub of the CBD is an essential part of having a vibrant city. It is the East End’s crown jewel for live music. No one is going to get kicked out of here if they are just drinking water. They’ll still have a place and be welcomed. After the bands are over, people remain at the Cranker into the early hours. Values like these, these cultural values have a positive ripple effect on society and are not interchangeable. This is a point that we feel is falling deaf on our elected representatives. People won’t just up and head to the Gov (in Hindmarsh or the Grace Emily in the West End, they are great venues and they serve a different need within our community.
The Malinauskas Government says it understands how important arts and culture are in South Australia and that they are continuing to support our incredible local venues and musicians. Adelaide faces a looming crisis of culture, having lost 15 venues in the last 15 months. – we cannot afford to lose one of its linchpins.
While the South Australian government has put in place initiatives like ‘See It LIVE’ to ‘bring South Australia’s music scene back to life’, the continuing loss of venues on your watch sets a worrying trend.
It is true that this government has offered large amounts of public funding for FIFO festivals and sporting events, yet there has been a manifest failure in both policy and funding terms to recognise that the South Australian music industry requires considered investment across a complex cultural ecosystem.
This investment does not always need to be in the form of grants for ailing venues. It can be a commitment to protect from demolition historic music venues which are established, financially secure, and beloved by the community and music industry.
It is vital that our government plays its role in preserving the unique character that the Crown and Anchor brings, not only to our community, but to the city of Adelaide itself. Adelaide cannot hope to hold on to the title of UNESCO City of Music if it is willing to allow the loss of successful cornerstone venues like the Crown & Anchor.
The Cranker is not just a pub.
That 3000 people took part in the Save Our Cranker rally and almost 25,000 members of the public signed the petition speaks volumes about the pub’s beloved status in the city. This is a loss we cannot stand. It is clear this is not just a local issue but a significant electoral concern across the state that highlights the community's demand for a government that prioritises cultural values over unchecked development. Your support can galvanise public opinion and demonstrate Labor’s leadership in integrating community needs with our state’s development objectives.
The Cranker has considerable cultural and heritage value for the city. It is:
● A year-round beacon of vibrancy in the East End, the cultural hub of the CBD.
● One of the best, and only, small-to-mid-sized music venues in Adelaide.
● Host to local, national, and international bands seven nights a week.
● A crucial incubator of local talent in the music industry (from bands, to mixers, to booking agents, to managers, to lighting operators).
● Situated on a main bus route and close to a taxi rank.
● A safe and welcome tourist attraction and ironically referenced in University promotions to international students
● Regular employer of uni students as bar staff.
The Crown & Anchor Hotel deserves recognition and preservation as a significant building.
We are realistic. We strongly support the concept of student accommodation and support the growth of population density. However, we utterly reject the argument that we must develop no matter the cost. Intelligent and sustainable city planning recognises the need for development to be in complement with its vibrancy, heritage, and cultural assets. An evolving city's character is in how it balances the past, present, and future.
Vibrancy of a city is not quantifiable; it is an element upon which culture, population, and economics work in tandem. The Cranker is a shining example of an existing and thriving cultural asset and a key contributor to our city’s vibrancy.
This is a pivotal moment for the Labor Party to step forward and advocate for the preservation of a vital cultural institution. By supporting government intervention to save the Crown and Anchor, you affirm that the Labor Party places the interests of the community, the interests of your constituents, at the heart of its policies.
This Government should be able to look back on its legacy and say with pride that it stood up and defended one of our city’s great music institutions, rather than standing idly by despite the significant public outcry.
We call on you as passionate South Australians and lovers of music to back your State and the people and places that make it special.
We ask you to look to the legacy of great Labor Premiers like Don Dunstan and take action so that the Malinauskas Government is remembered by future generations as a protector and champion of South Australian culture.
Sincerely,
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