St Paul's Bankstown: A Decade-Long Heritage Battle Faces Imminent Demolition

As we continue our series this week, this third story focuses on the decade-long struggle of St Paul's congregation to save their Anglican Church in Bankstown. This is not merely a tale of bricks and mortar, but a testament to the community, memory, and values cherished by Anglicans and citizens alike. As the author of TheGoodNewsBlog.org and an aspiring Anglican priest, I have been involved, reporting, advocating, and now, making a direct appeal to the highest levels of the Anglican Church to prevent the demolition of St Paul's, which I believe would be a grave error.

2015: The First Shockwaves

In early 2015, St Paul's Anglican Parish considered a proposal to redevelop the church site. Documents revealed that Colliers International, representing Kane Developments, had been in discussions with St Paul's since December 2014 about divesting the property at Chapel Road and French Avenue. The plan was to build a mixed-use development with commercial and residential towers, in exchange for the church gaining ownership of ground-floor commercial premises, parking, and seven residential units.

This proposal split the parish. Some felt the church was being "dazzled by money," while others saw a path to financial stability. Bankstown City Council responded by seeking an interim heritage order to protect the church from demolition.

Heritage Assessments and Council Decisions

Throughout 2015 and 2016, Bankstown City Council commissioned several heritage assessments. Sue Rosen & Associates concluded the church complex was locally significant and recommended an Interim Heritage Order, which was placed on the church in September 2015.

However, the Anglican Church, through GBA Heritage, objected to the heritage listing, questioning the architectural significance of the 1961 façade and bell tower. Despite a peer review by Ashley Built Heritage affirming the church's high significance, Bankstown councillors voted against a heritage protection order in April 2016, swayed by the church's objections and the promise of redevelopment.

2017–2022: Advocacy and Shifting Priorities

Despite setbacks, advocacy for St Paul's continued. In June 2021, Heritage NSW requested that Canterbury Bankstown City Council reconsider an interim Heritage Order. However, the council's final draft of the Bankstown City Centre Master Plan in August 2021 proposed rezoning the St Paul's site for up to 22-storey apartments and mixed business. In July 2022, Heritage NSW again requested a reconsideration of the Heritage Order, but the council did not act.

2023: Community Efforts and Political Intervention

In March 2023, Terry Corcoran, President of the RSL Bankstown Sub-Branch, voiced strong support for heritage classification, emphasizing the memorials to fallen servicemen within the church. Councillor Barbara Coorey moved a motion to institute an emergency Interim Heritage Order in April 2023, but it was not successful. Despite community efforts and expert recommendations, the Anglican Property Trust maintained its objection to any heritage listing.

2024: Final Assessments and State Government Involvement

In June 2024, GML Heritage, commissioned by Canterbury Bankstown City Council, concluded that St Paul's met the threshold for heritage listing, recommending conservation of its landmark qualities and architectural features. However, by December 2024, the Department of Planning decided not to heritage list the church, stating that the State Government had taken over planning for Bankstown City Centre.

2025: Demolition Application, Legal Concerns, and My Direct Appeal

In March 2025, the Anglican Diocese Property Group announced its redevelopment plan. Tania Mihailuk MP questioned the Minister of Heritage about the council ignoring recognition by Heritage NSW. In April 2025, Anglican Property lodged a Demolition Application for all existing structures of St Paul's. A motion to adopt the recommendation by Heritage NSW to heritage list St Paul's was defeated.

As editor of TheGoodNewsBlog.org, I have covered these developments extensively. Our recent articles—Bankstown's Battle: The Fight to Save St Paul’s Anglican Church and St Paul’s Bankstown: Unholy Alliances? - Property, Power, and the Fight for a Sacred Space—have received significant attention, and the story has been picked up by major outlets, including A Current Affair. The media has highlighted not only the heritage and spiritual value of St Paul's, but also the growing disquiet among Anglicans and the wider public regarding the Sydney Diocese's handling of this matter.

On May 31, 2025, I sent a formal letter to Archbishop Kanishka Raffel, raising urgent legal, ethical, and reputational concerns. As an aspiring Anglican priest and investigative journalist, I am deeply troubled by the involvement of certain "colourful characters" and the apparent disregard for the sanctity of the site and the wishes of the faithful. I made it clear that this issue will not simply fade away, and that my office and platform are committed to supporting the community's efforts.

I also drew attention to legal precedent: the case of Re Corporation of the Synod of the Diocese of Brisbane [1995] QSC 334. In that matter, the Court made clear that church property held on trust for a local congregation cannot be repurposed or sold unless it is impossible or impracticable to fulfill the original trust purpose. The trust, as established by the consecration and trust documents, is for the benefit of the congregation and the advancement of religion in that place—not for general diocesan purposes or commercial gain.

Furthermore, the 1968 consecration petition, in which Archbishop Marcus, by Divine Providence, dedicated St Paul's "for ever hereafter separated, dedicated and consecrated," was referenced. The Diocese's current plans for redevelopment appear to directly contradict this solemn and definitive act.

Given the clear legal framework, and the fact that the original trust purpose for St Paul's is still very much alive—with ongoing worship, community support, and heritage value—the Archbishop was urged to immediately withdraw the demolition development application and halt any further steps towards redevelopment. Instead, it was strongly recommended that the Diocese initiate an application to the NSW Supreme Court for directions, as per the precedent set in Brisbane. This is the only proper and lawful course of action, and it will demonstrate to the faithful and the public that the Diocese is committed to justice, transparency, and the true mission of the Church.

Community Action and Council Submission

As of June 1, 2025, the fight to save St Paul's Bankstown continues. I encourage all who care about this issue to make their voices heard. As a donor to the church, I believe I have legal standing as an Anglican to object to the demolition—and so do you. If you wish to join me in objecting to the demolition, please contact the council before the June 3 deadline, you can view a copy of the editors objection letter to council here.

Email: council@cbcity.nsw.gov.au
Phone: 02 9707 9000
Email: Bilal.el-hayek@cbcity.nsw.gov.au

Re:  DA-438/2025 - St Pauls Church at 459 Chapel Rd, Bankstown, NSW, 2200

You can track the Demolition Development Application here.

Details on SSDA-4/2025, the State Significant Development Application for the 23-storey mixed-use project promising 100% affordable and social housing, are available here.

A Decade of "Toing and Froing"

Here is a summary of the key heritage assessments and decisions over the past decade:

Year	Commissioned by	Document	Authors	Conclusion
2015	Bankstown Council	State Heritage Inventory form Submitted	Sue Rosen Associates	Locally significant, meeting criteria to support St Paul's Heritage Listing
2015	Bankstown Council	Placed Interim Heritage Order on St Paul's Church	Councillors	Locally significant, meeting criteria to support St Paul's Heritage Listing
2016	Bankstown Council	St Paul's Supplementary Heritage Report	Sue Rosen Associates & Dr Roy Lumby	Recommend council to include St Paul's in its local Heritage Listing
2016	St Paul's Anglican		GBA Heritage	Object to Heritage Listing
2016	Bankstown Council	Peer Review on St Paul's Heritage Listing	Geoff Ashley	Locally significant, meeting criteria to support Heritage Listing
2021	CB City Council	CB City Council		Rezoned St Paul's for Highrise up to 11 storeys
2021		State Heritage Inventory form Submitted again	Save St Paul's Bankstown Group	Locally significant, meeting criteria to support St Paul's Heritage listing
2021	Heritage of NSW	Letter to CEO Matthew Stewart	Heritage of NSW	Request council to reconsider Heritage Listing
2021	CB City Council	Extent Heritage	Extent Heritage	Locally significant, Support Heritage listing
2022	CB City Council	Master Plan	CB City Council	Rezoned St Paul's for Highrise up to 18 storeys
2022	Heritage of NSW	Letter to CEO Matthew Stewart	Steve Meredith	Request council to reconsider Heritage Listing
2023	St Paul's Anglican		GBA Heritage	Object to Heritage Listing
2023	Heritage of NSW	Letter to CEO Matthew Stewart	Sam Kidman	Request council to reconsider Heritage Listing
2023	CB City Council	Master Plan "have your say"	CB City Council	Community against the rezone of St Paul's site
2024	CB City Council	GML Heritage	GML Heritage	Locally significant, meeting criteria to support St Paul's Heritage listing
2024	St Paul's Anglican		Weir Phillips Heritage	Object to Heritage Listing
2024	State Planning	TOD Finalisation Report	Department of Planning	Rezoned St Paul's for Highrise up to 23 storeys
2025	State Planning		Minister of Planning	Funds by government to demolish & redevelop
2025	St Paul's Anglican		Beam Planning	St Paul's is unworthy for heritage listing, its War Memorial site classified as "Vegetation"
2025	St Paul's Anglican	GBA Demolition Report	Graham Brooks	Demolition Application lodged 30 Apr, 2025 demolition of all St Paul's existing structures
2025	CB City Council	21 Days Notice of Demolition of all St Paul's existing structures	Sydney Anglican Property	Approval In Process by council 3rd June, 2025

This timeline illustrates the complex interplay of community advocacy, expert assessments, and political decisions that have led to the current crisis. As the demolition date looms, the community of Bankstown faces the potential loss of a significant piece of its history.

Throughout 2015 and 2016, Bankstown City Council commissioned several heritage assessments. Sue Rosen & Associates concluded the church complex was locally significant and recommended an Interim Heritage Order, which was placed on the church in September 2015. However, the Anglican Church, through GBA Heritage, objected to the heritage listing, questioning the architectural significance of the 1961 façade and bell tower. Despite a peer review by Ashley Built Heritage affirming the church's high significance, Bankstown councillors voted against a heritage protection order in April 2016, swayed by the church's objections and the promise of redevelopment. In the newly formed Canterbury-Bankstown Council's transitional phase after the 2016 merger, administrators were appointed by the NSW State Government to oversee the amalgamation process and ensure a smooth transition, with Richard Colley leading until the 2017 elections. The administration faced immense pressure from both development interests and the Anglican Church's objections. Whether they received a fair assessment amidst this complex situation is debatable, but their decision to prioritize development at this early stage, despite expert heritage recommendations, remains a contentious point—and probably grounds for a judicial review of the matter.

In these trying times, we must remember the words of Galatians 6:9: "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." The fight to save St Paul's is far from over, and with faith and perseverance, we can still hope to preserve this sacred space for future generations.

Let us pray:
Almighty God, we humbly beseech you to look with favour upon St Paul's Anglican Church in Bankstown. Grant wisdom and compassion to those in positions of authority, that they may recognise the historical and spiritual significance of this place. Strengthen the resolve of the community, that they may not falter in their efforts to preserve this sacred space. Guide us all to act with justice, transparency, and a true commitment to your mission, so that St Paul's may continue to be a beacon of hope and a testament to your enduring love. Amen.