Thousands of historic contributory items across SA to be retained in new planning code, Vickie Chapman says
An outcry over fears new heritage rules would make it easier to demolish historic buildings have forced a backdown.
SA News
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Thousands of historic properties will continue to be recognised in the state’s new planning system potentially easing concerns reforms would have made make it easier to demolish the buildings.
Planning Minister Vickie Chapman has announced that most of the state’s more than 11,000 contributory items – clusters of a buildings of a similar vintage and character – will be identified in the draft planning and design code as “representative buildings”.
“I believe it is important that many decades of local council efforts in assessing and
acknowledging the values that contributory items offer to the local character of an area
should be preserved,” she said.
“Both as a local MP and in my new role as Minister for Planning and Local Government,
I am aware of concerns from local councils and others in the community about removing
all references to contributory items in the new planning system.
“I’m pleased to see the State Planning Commission has acted on those concerns and
agreed to reflect contributory items in the draft code.”
Councils, residents groups and the National Trust had campaigned against previous plans by the commission to remove any reference to contributory items in the new planning code.
Anguish over the proposals had led to the development of a group Protect Our Heritage Alliance.
Norwood Payneham & St Peter’s Mayor Robert Bria had previously described the removal of contributory items “absolute madness’.
Dr Christel Mex, president of the umbrella residents’ group Community Alliance SA, said members would welcome the news.
“We’ll be looking forward to reading the detail when the next draft of the code is released,” she said.
She said having the buildings identified in the planning code will provide “certainty” to current and future owners of the buildings.
Current demolition controls for contributory items vary, but generally policies discourage knocking down a building without good reasons such as it being in a state of disrepair.
Planning commission chair Michael Lennon had previously said it would have been irresponsible to transfer contributory items into the planning code because they had no basis in law.
Prospect Mayor David O’Loughlin posted on Twitter that Ms Chapman’s announcement was a win for heritage.
“This ends the fear of the greatest heritage delisting process ever proposed in SA,” he wrote.
Opposition planning spokeswoman Jayne Stinson said it was a “dumb idea” to drop protection for these “valuable buildings”.
“It’s about time the government finally listened to Labor and the community to backflip on their silly and stubborn position,” she said.
“Labor will examine the fine print of the recommendation, but at this stage it appears local people can claim victory over a non-sensical and belligerent Liberal policy.