By JESSE GRAHAM
Fight against Heritage Overlay to demolish dilapidated building…
A HEALESVILLE man will take his fight against an impending Heritage Overlay to a panel hearing, arguing for his dilapidated building to be demolished.
David Quelch represented 81-year-old George Clay at last week’s Yarra Ranges Council meeting, arguing that Mr Clay’s building at 122 Maroondah Highway be removed from an impending Heritage Overlay.
The overlay is the subject of a Planning Scheme Amendment, and will affect around 100 properties if it is adopted after an independent panel hearing and subsequent council decision.
At the 22 July meeting, Mr Quelch argued that the building had been altered over the years and was currently in disrepair, with no foundations holding the building up.
Mr Clay, who recently purchased the property, had applied for the building to be demolished, but the council placed an interim Heritage Overlay over the building while the amendment was considered.
Mr Quelch urged the councillors to remove the property from the Heritage Overlay at the meeting, but councillors voted with a majority to refer Mr Clay’s submission – and all others – to an independent panel hearing.
Mayor Fiona McAllister said that removing the property from the overlay was still a possibility, but that it would be a matter for the panel to decide.
“We’re making sure that we don’t just sign off on it now, but go to a planning panel process,” she said.
Councillor Jim Child offered an amendment that would have seen all submissions referred to the panel hearing, but with a request for Planning Minister Matthew Guy to remove Mr Clay’s property beforehand.
Other councillors disagreed with the idea and said it was unfair on the other objectors to the overlay to have one struck off before the panel meets, and not others.
“This is why we have an independent panel – it’s not for us, in the dying hours, to say ‘let’s remove one’,” Councillor Terry Avery said.
Samantha Dunn agreed with Cr Avery and said that there were many unresolved issues and objections to the overlay, and that it was up to the panel to assess them.
“It gives those submitters a chance to have their voice heard in front of an independent panel,” she said.
Of the 24 submissions sent to the council regarding the overlay, none were supportive of the amendment.
Mr Clay since told the Mail that he believes the house is a ‘wreck’, and doesn’t have any heritage value for the town.
“This has not been maintained and is beyond fixing,” he said.
“If this place had been 100 per cent perfect, then perhaps yes, but it is almost totally deteriorated.”
If Mr Clay is allowed to demolish the building on the property, he hopes to build two units on the site – one to sell and one to live in.
Yarra Ranges Director of Building, Planning and Health Andrew Paxton told the Mail earlier this year that a Heritage Overlay listing does not necessarily rule out demolition.
“It is important to emphasise council has the discretion to approve a demolition permit and, historically, this council has done so in cases where it was merited,” he said.
As a result of the council meeting, the council will request that the Planning Minister appoint an independent panel to consider all submissions for the amendment.
