3 Penny Lane, McCrae removed from landslide site nearly eight months after disaster

Safety concerns have forced the demolition of a landslide-damaged McCrae mansion before nearby residents learn the fate of their own multimillion-dollar homes.

A luxury house made uninhabitable by a landslide on the Mornington Peninsula is being removed as surrounding residents remain in limbo about the future of their multimillion homes.

Demolition crews were on site at McCrae on Monday and Tuesday, removing what was left of the house at 3 Penny Lane after a January 14 landslide sent it crashing down the cliffs.

The Herald Sun understands the tight-knit community of residents initially evacuated in the wake of the landslide wanted to wait until a Board of Inquiry report into the disaster was released before the works began.

However, their wishes were overruled by safety concerns at the site.

The Board of Inquiry’s findings and recommendations are set out in a report which Inquiry chair Renee Enbom KC delivered to the Governor of Victoria, Her Excellency Professor the Honourable Margaret Gardner AC on September 9.

The remains of 3 Penny Lane are being removed Picture: ABC

The Victorian government is reviewing the report and has been asked to make it public by the end of this week.

Ms Enbom said the landslide has caused residents “significant stress and significant uncertainty”.

“That stress and uncertainty continues,” Ms Enbom said.

“The residents need answers but they also need action.

“They need action as soon as possible.”

A January 14 landslide sent the house crashing down a cliff at Point Nepean Road and Penny Lane, McCrae. AAP Image/Diego Fedele

She urged all relevant parties to “take an approach that will see residents get back into their homes quickly” once the report was published.

The review into the cause of the January 14 landslide — where a luxury home had its second and third levels knocked over and a council worker was hospitalised after having to jump from the tumbling house — began on March 18 with public hearings starting on May 7.

The last hearing into the disaster that forced 19 properties to evacuate was on August 18 with August 25 the final date for making submissions.

Residents hope the report will provide some clarity on what caused the landslide and how the area can be made safe.

When the Herald Sun visited the site on Tuesay the exclusion zone was still in place with fencing and security cameras around Penny Lane properties.