By JESSE GRAHAM
PRESSURE is building up for a family after a five-week deadline given by Yarra Ranges Council to complete their house before their sheds they live in are destroyed.
James Fewster and Carol Gallagher have been living in their sheds for the last 15 years at their Don Road property with another adult and a child.
The couple thought their three sheds that cost just under $5000 were permissible by the Yarra Ranges Council at the time they were built.
However, they’ve since been through a lengthy process of trying to get a permit to keep the sheds standing at the property, which is located at an old quarry site.
The couple were unsuccessful for a number of reasons, such as concern of the potential risks to life from the quarry wall opposite the sheds.
Carol and James said they never had any incidents with the quarry wall over the last 15 years and as they recently lost their jobs they could not afford to rent elsewhere while paying off their land.
“What the council don’t seem to understand is that we’re not here by choice,” Carol said.
“We’re here because of our financial circumstances and they keep on about demolishing them.”
Yarra Ranges Council could be legally held responsible for injury or death, if it occurs as a result of allowing the sheds to stand without a permit.
At the 13 August meeting, the council resolved to hold off the process of organising the demolition of the sheds for two weeks. It would take another three weeks to organise the demolition.
Councillor Fiona McAllister, who brought the matter before council, said she was disappointed with the result.
“I don’t think the sheds should be pulled down,” she said.
“Very understandably, in high risk areas, there is a need for strict conditions on safety.
“But they’ve had them for 15 years, it’s all been safe and I really think there should be a way that they should be able to keep their sheds, without it costing tens of thousands of dollars for expert reports.”
James and Carol said their house was just weeks away from completion, but they needed to get a certificate of compliance once their septic tank was connected.
They said they would like to keep their sheds for storage once the house is completed, and were worried of becoming homeless, should the house not be completed when demolition began.
“I am strongly of the view that we need to give more time to these applicants,” Cr McAllister said.
“The true risk here is of making people homeless.”
Carol said she hoped the issue would be brought before council again.
