The Sirius building at The Rocks, Sydney. Pic: Creative Commons.

By Louisa Wright

This article was originally published on ArchitectureAU.com and is republished here with permission.

The CFMEU and Unions NSW have placed a “green ban” on the Sirius building, meaning no unionized workforce is allowed to work on the site in Sydney’s The Rocks.

The Sirius building lost its bid for heritage listing in July 2016 despite the Heritage Council of NSW unanimously recommending the building for heritage protection following a council meeting in December 2015.

Sirius is a brutalist-style public housing complex designed in 1975 by Tao (Theodore) Gofers, architect for the Housing Commission, and is built adjacent to the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Sydney lord mayor Clover Moore and Jack Mundey, the former union leader who led the green bans in the 1970s, announced the Sirius green ban on Wednesday. The 1970s green ban prevented the state government’s plans to redevelop The Rocks into high-rise towers. Sirius was built following the end of the green bans, and is seen as aphysical reminder of the campaign.

Read more here.