Beloved Adelaide pub The Crown and Anchor will remain a live music venue, thanks to new legislation the state government says will protect it and similar sites from major redevelopment.
On Sunday, South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas announced the Crown and Anchor, affectionately dubbed the Cranker, will not have its interior demolished as part of a major student housing development.
Addressing a large crowd of Cranker supporters outside Parliament House, Malinauskas said Wee Hur Holdings, the developer which planned to turn the CBD site into a 19-storey complex, will instead be allowed to build a 29-storey tower next door to the pub under an accelerated planning process.
Wee Hur Holdings will inject a further $150 million into the development.
As for the venue itself, Malinauskas said he will propose to Cabinet a “special-purpose piece of legislation” that will “save the Cranker”.
The legislation will ensure the venue “cannot be demolished, that it cannot be built over, and that its current land use as a hotel and live music venue will be preserved,” Malinauskas said in a subsequent statement.
In addition, the state government will move to protect other similar venues from destruction.
“If you want to develop a site next to a pub that plays live music, then you have to factor in that there will be live music in that venue for a long time to come,” Malinauskas said.
The Save the Cranker campaign movement also pushed for the modernisation of state heritage definitions to incorporate “intangible cultural heritage”, preserving the legacy of sites like the Crown and Anchor, irrespective of their physical heritage.
The precise shape of the Cranker legislation — and if specific venues will be shortlisted for protection under the amended planning rules — is yet to be seen.
While advocates have celebrated the protection of one of Adelaide’s most beloved live music venues, the decision to use legislation to intervene in the planning process has raised eyebrows.
Speaking to ABC Radio Adelaide on Monday morning, SA Minister for Planning Nick Champion defended the “bespoke approach” to saving the Crown and Anchor.
SmartCompany has contacted Champion’s office for comment.
Despite the reprieve, the next-door development will still have major ramifications for the Crown and Anchor.
As part of the plan, the adjoining Roxie’s and Chateau Apollo space will be redeveloped.
The live music venue itself could face a two-year shutdown period while major works take place.
“It’s absolutely less than ideal,” Crown and Anchor proprietor Tom Skipper told ABC Radio Adelaide.
The venture is discussing the potential for a “Cranker pop-up” in the interim, he added.
While questions about wider knock-on effects are still unanswered, advocates are celebrating the preservation of one of the city’s most beloved watering holes.
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Senior Business Journalist
Focused on the small business sector, David’s work covers the political, regulatory, and economic issues facing Australian entrepreneurs. Prior to joining SmartCompany, he was a reporter for Business Insider Australia. You can follow him on LinkedIn.
