CH Smith Building - 30 years of Art Deco neglect

The northern Tasmania newspaper, The Examiner ran a front page story relating to the derelict CH Smith Building in Launceston. It has been in a derelict state now since the late 1970s and is a good example of an Art Deco industrial style building. The complex was to be converted into apartments and a shopping mall but this never happened and since then the owners have put the property on the market again.

My letter that appeared in the Examiner newspaper:
"Buildings such as the CH Smith Building (Examiner, 24th October) should be protected by heritage laws, but more importantly be redeveloped in a way that is sympathetic to its Art Deco style. There are countless buildings in Launceston and in Tasmania that are at risk of being lost or unsympathetically developed. For example, the former Royal Derwent Hospital has a wonderful social and architectural history dating back to the 1830s. The report by the National Trust puts it in the top 10 sites of 'heritage at risk'. Heritage restrictions on buildings like the former Royal Derwent Hospital and the CH Smith building may create extra hurdles for the businesses that own them, but surely heritage values and redevelopment can co-exist. To advocate that heritage laws get in the way of development ignores how important buildings like the CH Smith complex have played in shaping modern day Launceston."