Controversial Amendment C299 axed too late to save Hawthorn homes
The axing of a controversial State Government planning amendment couldn’t come soon enough for Boroondara residents — but it was still too late to save multiple historic homes from the wrecking ball.
Inner East
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Where there was once a row of historic houses on a premium Boroondara street, now lies vacant land waiting for units and townhouses to be put in their place.
The law that allowed the homes to be demolished is gone not long after it arrived — but it was long enough for properties to be scraped clean of the historical attributes which characterised the area.
The property at 360 Auburn Rd in Hawthorn was the most recent house to go, with the wreckers moving on Christmas Eve, following on from 368 Auburn Rd in August and two Victorian-style homes in December 2018.
The site at 362 Auburn Rd remains intact, but not for long — a sign outside promises new townhouses in 2020.
The heritage home on the opposite side of the road, Currajong House, was only saved from the wrecking ball after a last-minute reprieve by Planning Minister Richard Wynne, following a petition to save it was signed by more than 5000 people.
“We treat our heritage too lightly,” neighbour Lucille Turfrey said.
“Square boxes are replacing quality structures.
“Where the Australian climate was once acknowledged by a veranda, we rely on the mechanics of modernity to keep the houses cool and, by so doing, we’re affecting the environment.
“I do see increasingly that where there was one house on a block of land, it’s now a multiplication of boxes, which is not conducive to family life.”
Another neighbour, Sharam Raissi, said the destruction of the properties was “changing the nature of the area”.
Amendment C299 was introduced in June 2018 and applied to properties under interim heritage overlays initially in Camberwell and Canterbury, but was extended to include Hawthorn, Hawthorn East, Kew and Kew East last year.
Boroondara city planning director Shiran Wickramasinghe said the council was pleased the Planning Minister had “listened to both council and the community’s concerns” by removing the amendment.
“Together with our community, council fought to protect irreplaceable heritage homes in Boroondara,” he said.
“The council can now provide better protection for the unique heritage qualities of our city, which is highly valued by the community.”
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In the future, any demolition or building works on a property within an interim heritage overlay must apply for a planning permit.
Mr Wickramasinghe said properties with heritage significance would continue to be identified through a study, which is expected to protect an extra 5500 properties.