Lavender Bay: NSW Governor’s home renos anger neighbours

An unneighbourly row is brewing on the lower north shore with residents furious about the NSW Governor’s home reno plans which they claim will destroy their Harbour views.

Plans by the NSW Governor to redevelop her north shore home are set to be approved after meeting opposition from neighbouring residents over potential loss of harbour views.

The North Sydney Council planning panel has recommended approving a $2.6 million development proposal lodged by Margaret Beazley to knock down her Lavender Bay home to make way for a new abode overlooking the Harbour Bridge and Luna Park.

The current one-storey home has stood at the site since 1917 and is owned by Ms Beazley, whose official residence as NSW Governor is Government House in the CBD.

An artist’s impression of the new home.

Plans to the council show the Lavender Bay development would have three bedrooms, a wine cellar, storage areas, rumpus room, terrace, courtyard gardens, a basement garage and landscaping works.

Plans stated the development would “provide for a new contemporary and high-end dwelling house” and offer a “high level of amenity for the future occupants”.

The development was referred to the panel due to the higher number of submissions from neighbouring residents.

A photo of the site.

The chief concerns outlined in feedback centred on potential loss of views and fears once completed it could be “out of character with the area”.

The concerns are far from unique on the lower north shore and the proposal is the latest in a long line where neighbours have jostled over view sharing arrangements of Sydney Harbour.

Neighbour Karen Bryant, in a submission to North Sydney Council, wrote the proposal could have “devastating” impacts on the “iconic view” enjoyed from her home.

“The view of the bridge (would be) entirely obliterated at one end of our living area and reduced to about 10 per cent at the other end,” she wrote in a submission.

NSW Governor Margaret Beazley.

Neighbour Brendan Hull said he purchased his unit 21 years ago because of the views and wrote “the effect of approving this DA would be to take away the view we have of the Opera House and a significant portion of the Harbour Bridge and give that view to the DA applicant.”

Resident Jennifer Chemesha described the proposal as participating in “view taking” rather than “view sharing”.

A report to the council’s planning panel, which will meet to determine the plans on Wednesday, found that while some neighbours would lose partial or full views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, not all neighbours enjoyed “iconic” views due to existing development in the area.

A photo of one of the views from a neighbour’s home.

The planning panel meeting comes after the council conducted a visit of the site in August where issues were raised over view loss, heritage, and the scale of development.

In response, Ms Beazley this month submitted revised plans which lowered the building by 60cm to achieve full compliance with height limits, and reduced the width of the driveway to allow a heritage listed sandstone wall to be retained in its entirety.

The report said the proposal was “in the public interest” and found the revised plans were “unlikely to cause adverse material impacts to adjoining properties.”

“The proposed built-form … is considered reasonable in the location, as it positively contributes to the transitioning character of the immediate locality,” it added.

Ms Beazley declined to comment about the submissions from resident.

In a statement, her office said: “the Governor has no comment to make on this matter.”