Council wants to buy historic Lamb House with State Government help

Council has issued the State Government with a proposal to save one of Brisbane’s most historic homes, after a developer’s $12 million to repair the abandoned property was knocked back.

QUEENSLAND’S most historic heritage home, which has stood on top of Kangaroo Point cliffs for more than 125 years, could be restored and turned into a public facility.

The Courier-Mail can reveal Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner is spearheading a campaign to save Lamb House, which has been abandoned and fallen into disrepair.

Cr Schrinner has proposed the Brisbane City Council and the State share the cost of buying the property from owner Joy Lamb and then seek donations so it can be restored as a community building.

Deputy Premier Jackie Trad, whose electorate includes the 3000 square metre Lamb House property, said she was open to the Lord Mayor’s proposal but insisted Queensland needed a more holistic approach to its heritage assets.

Lamb House is more than 125 years old.

It was revealed on the weekend that iconic Queensland developer Kevin Seymour was seeking to save the property and had offered to purchase the home or provide Ms Lamb with the estimated $12 million needed to fix it.

However, the pair’s four-decade old friendship has fractured during the negotiations and Mr Seymour may now seek a court decision over whether he can exercise a longstanding option he has had to buy the house.

Formerly known as “Home”, the property is now regularly inundated by water because of large holes in the roof and used as makeshift shelter by homeless people.

It will take an estimated $12 million to repair the home. Picture: AAP Image/Richard Waugh

Cr Schrinner said he had asked the State Government for permission to apply a temporary order over the property to prevent any prospect of development on the site.

“In light of confirmed attempts to purchase the Lamb residence ‘Home’ at Kangaroo Point, I will put forward a Temporary Local Planning Instrument at Tuesday’s Council meeting to protect the heritage site from any redevelopment,” he said.

“Council is willing to jointly acquire ‘Home’ together with the State Government.”

Lamb House, which sits atop the Kangaroo Point cliffs, has been abandoned by its owner. Picture: AAP Image/Richard Waugh

However, any sale would need to be agreed to by Ms Lamb, who inherited the property from her husband but has moved into a nearby motel.

Ms Trad said there were questions as to whether current laws were properly protecting heritage properties.

“I would be very open to having conversations with the Lord Mayor,” she said.

“But this is not our only heritage sight and we need to have a systemic approach to how we approach heritage.”