October 27th, 2022Hepburn Matters Launches Petition to Prioritise Community Use of The Rex

Hepburn Matters, the local community group formed out of the Rethink The Rex campaign, has launched a petition calling upon Hepburn Shire Councillors to favourably consider bids to purchase The Rex that include provision for community use and heritage protections.

The survey, which is available online, requests Hepburn Shire Councillors to weight bids for the sale of Daylesford’s iconic community-owned building that take into account provision for community use, especially a cinema, along with a specific request that any proposed development in both Duke and Vincent Streets does not exceed the height of current buildings in the central part of Vincent Street.

President of Hepburn Matters, Jules McDonald, said it was important to keep the issue of community use and heritage protections at the forefront of Councillor’s minds when considering bids for the sale of The Rex.

“Until it is sold, The Rex is still a community owned asset,” McDonald said. “Our members have continually expressed their concern for the future of the building, particularly around the loss of the cinema and the heritage protection of the iconic building.

The Rex was constructed in 1929 by the same architect who designed the Forum in Melbourne, and is the last remaining Spanish Mission Revival atmospheric cinema building in Victoria.

Hepburn Matters is calling on local community to sign the petition to help them to continue advocating for community use and heritage protections in relations to The Rex.

“In the engagement survey run by Council, 77% of Birch Ward respondents expressed their desire for The Rex to remain a Council-owned asset,” McDonald said. “With the building about to be offered on the open market, now is the time right time for community to again make representations to Councillors requesting them to give weight to community use and heritage protections when considering potential bids. Dollars should not be the sole consideration.”

You can sign the petition here: https://www.change.org/p/a-call-for-hepburn-shire-councillors-to-consider-community-use-on-bids-to-purchase-the-rex

For enquiries on Hepburn Matters, please contact Jules McDonald at julesmcd11@gmail.com or sign up to the newsletter by visiting their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/hepburnmatters