Beaumaris and Black Rock residents facing forced heritage overlays
They say your home is your castle. But the Planning Minister wants to be the Lord of the Manor in Bayside and decide what properties get heritage listing. And the council is making its decision tonight.
South East
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The owners of 50 Bayside properties will find out tonight if they have the right to have their property heritage listed or if they will have that honour forced on them by the State Government.
There is a nomination process in Bayside where homeowners can “self nominate” their property to go on the heritage list.
But Planning Minister Richard Wynne is pushing for heritage overlay to be forced on the owners of about 50 properties in the 3193 postcode.
Two of those homeowners, Matt and Fiona Marshall who live in Fifth St, Black Rock, said
they wouldn’t have purchased their property had they known it could be heritage listed.
“We purchased it in good faith and knew it had been reviewed for heritage overlay, but ultimately wasn’t,” Ms Marshall said.
“Had we have known it could be listed we wouldn’t have bought it.
“We poured our entire life savings into it and have three young kids, so we had planned to renovate it at some point in the future and turn it into our dream house for us and the kids.”
The property, which they purchased in 2015, is a 1970s home which isn’t made for modern living.
They said the proposal to change the process has been rushed.
“Because the council meeting is tonight and we can’t attend we can’t even speak or give our view,” Ms Marshall said.
“We have a business with about 20 employees to juggle and we’re trying to keep them employed at the same time, its hard.
“We just want the same rights as our neighbours.”
Sandringham state Liberal MP Brad Rowswell said homeowners have already felt the effect of coronavirus and lockdown, and to impose this on them would be another bitter blow.
“I thought that a person’s house was their castle,” he said.
“Many are retired and have worked at a time when superannuation was not compulsory; their home is their greatest asset.
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“Everyone wants our local liveability, streetscapes, environment and heritage to be maintained for the benefit of future generations. But this shouldn’t be pursued at the cost of smashing local homeowners financial security.
“To, once again, add upheaval and uncertainty to their plate – especially at this time – is just cruel.
“Imposing a heritage listing on these homes, without the agreement or consent of homeowners, is not right and must be stopped.”