History lost: Almost 41,000 Victorian properties bulldozed in five years: VBA
Victoria is stripping “the character” from its streets with almost 41,000 property demolitions given the green light in the past five years. Here’s where the most homes are being bowled over.
Property
Don't miss out on the headlines from Property. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Victoria is stripping “the character” from its streets with almost 41,000 property demolitions given the green light in the past five years.
In the City of Monash, the state’s demolition capital, 3209 properties were flattened or part-destroyed from 2016-2020, the equivalent of a decent-sized new housing estate every year, new figures from the Victorian Building Authority show.
The Boroondara, Whitehorse and Glen Eira council areas also notched more than 2000 approvals to bring in bulldozers in the period, with Moreland, Kingston, the Mornington Peninsula and Bayside not far behind.
RELATED: Outcry as wrecking ball ploughs into Armadale mansion
Beaumaris mid-century house demolished, wrecking ball looms in Brighton
Boroondara demolitions: Six properties at risk of wrecking ball
Monash mayor Brian Little said the size of the municipality, which is larger than Boroondara and Whitehorse, as well as rejuvenation of “significant industrial and commercial sites” would have contributed to it being at the top of the list.
“Our housing is also slightly different in age, size and quality to other municipalities, and particularly Boroondara and the older parts of Whitehorse, making it more attractive as a knockdown rebuild option for families,” Mr Little said.
The area’s older-style three-bedroom homes built after World War II were now smaller than what most families needed, and the land was often worth much more than the older homes.
While conceding “in some areas character may be changing”, Mr Little said this was more complex than simple demolition numbers. He added that the council had policy in place to “protect our ‘garden city’ character and heritage areas”.
Urban Development Institute of Australia Victorian chief executive Matthew Kandelaars said the high numbers of demolitions in some suburbs reflected older homes that no longer matched modern needs being replaced.
“Many of these figures are allowing local property regeneration of stock across Melbourne’s suburbs, preserving the local amenity while providing fit-for-purpose homes for future generations,” Mr Kandelaars said.
VBA regulatory operations executive director David Brockman said demolitions were overseen by relevant building surveyors, who issued the permits for demolition after assessing dangers to workers and the public — including any potentially hazardous materials within the building.
While 2020 numbers were down on previous years in most parts of the city, they reached their highest level in five years in many regional councils where there has been a surge in demand for homes since the pandemic hit. They include Geelong, Bendigo, Ballarat, Baw Baw, Mildura and Warrnambool.
Beaumaris Modern president Fiona Austin said despite last year’s slowdown, the demolition of homes from the golden age of the Great Australian Dream was still a “significant issue”and stripping “the character” from Bayside Council area streetscapes.
The municipality demolished the eighth most homes of any council in Melbourne in the past half decade.
Ms Austin said the council’s voluntary nomination approach to preserving residences from the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s left “huge gaps” – but she hoped an almost complete Bayside mid-century heritage study would save other homes.
“We’ve lost a lot of houses in the last 10-15 years – at least 100 mid-century houses in Beaumaris and Black Rock alone,” she said.
Many were being replaced with faux-Hampton and faux-French provincial style homes.
Ms Austin said where possible, her group advocated sympathetically renovating and extending post-war houses as a more sustainable option – which would also likely pay off long-term for a homeowner, given the era’s increasing popularity among buyers.
HIGH-PROFILE DEMOLITIONS
Menzies’ house, 2 Haverbrack Ave, Malvern
Opposition planning spokesman David Davis described the demolition of Sir Robert Menzies’ former home last week as an “act of vandalism”, blaming “weak heritage protection” for the outcome. The house was not heritage listed and, after selling for more than $5.5m in 2015, will make way for a three-storey dwelling with a basement and a pool.
The Corkman Irish Pub, 160 Leicester Place, Carlton
Cowboy developers Raman Shaqiri and Stefce Kutlesovski illegally bulldozed the 158-year-old pub in 2016, sparking community outrage. The pair this month appealed a $400,000 fine and one-month prison sentence for contempt for failing to comply with tribunal orders to clear the Carlton site and make a public park, with their QC labelling the punishment “manifestly excessive”. A park has now been completed at the site.
Offerton, 33-35 Huntingtower Rd, Armadale
One of Armadale’s oldest and most expensive homes was levelled in 2017 after a last-ditch attempt to save it failed. “Huge community backlash” surrounded the demolition of Offerton, following its quiet $10.8m sale in late 2016. The grand 118-year-old house was initially taken down piece by piece so its historic handmade parts could be sold. The site was redeveloped as a luxury apartment complex.
27 Mariemont Ave, Beaumaris
A 1962 house designed by architecture firm Chancellor & Patrick was razed almost three years ago – but these days, all that occupies the Beaumaris block where it used to stand is “a big pile of weeds”, according Beaumaris Modern president Fiona Austin. Ms Austin’s group had called on Planning Minister Richard Wynne to place an interim heritage protection order over the address, with a petition to save the home gathering 885 signatures in less than 24 hours. But it came to nothing, as Bayside City Council heritage controls didn’t cover the property, despite it being identified in an earlier heritage study. A Chinese national paid $2.315m for the property in 2017.
16 St Georges Rd, Toorak
Wealthy Chinese businessman Wang Hua and his then-wife Xiao “Kylie” Yan Bao demolished a landmark Toorak mansion despite public outcry in 2015, after buying it two years earlier for $18.58m. In 2019, Ms Bao listed the empty 4000sq m block with a $40m-$44m price guide. The couple’s architect Robert Caulfield later told the Herald Sun they had to can their plans to create “one of the grandest homes in Toorak” after encountering difficulties getting capital out of China to fund the $18m build. Locals dubbed the home’s razing “sacrilege”.
Melville, 32 Middle Crescent, Brighton
Shane Warne’s “favourite” Brighton mansion was almost completely bowled over by its new owner in 2020. A neighbour described the bulldozing of the residence’s modern extension and pool as “very disruptive”, adding she couldn’t “understand how they have knocked down one mansion just to build another”. The original heritage-listed 1880s bluestone part of the building remained untouched. The cricket legend sold the property for $8.75m 2001, then bought it back for $14m in 2016 and sold it again for almost $19m in 2018.
17 Nautilus St, Beaumaris
Mid-century architecture advocates from Beaumaris Modern lobbied Bayside City Council to save this 1950s classic by renowned architect Charles Bricknell. But the house was torn down in 2020, after a developer bought it for $1.9m. Ms Austin said several members of her organisation had been interested in buying and restoring the abode, but missed out by just $25,000 at the auction. Two townhouses are being built on the site.
14 Irymple Ave, Kew East
Former Collingwood footballer Darren Jolly and ex-wife Dea were forced to rebuild a Kew East California bungalow in heritage style after illegally demolishing it in 2015. Despite the Jollys’ permit requiring them to leave the front part of the heritage-listed house intact, they knocked the whole thing down, claiming they had no choice after discovering extensive rot and termite damage. The former Block contestants landed in court, facing fines of up to $180,000, but the City of Boroondara ultimately granted them retrospective approval for the demolition and ordered the rebuild using parts of the original house. The Jollys sold the house for $2.908m, $58,000 above reserve, in 2016.
TOP TEN MUNICIPALITIES FOR DEMOLITIONS 2016-2020
Monash: 3,209
Boroondara: 2,329
Whitehorse: 2,293
Glen Eira: 2,183
Moreland: 1,865
Kingston: 1,819
Mornington Peninsula: 1,751
Bayside: 1,728
Moonee Valley: 1,724
Greater Geelong: 1,660
Source: Victorian Building Authority
Sign up to the Herald Sun Weekly Real Estate Update. Click here to get the latest Victorian property market news delivered direct to your inbox.
MORE: Home seller FAQs: When should I sell? How do I pick an agent?
New generation of buyers is targeting Grovedale renovation
Greg Evans: Perfect Match host sells Doncaster apartment with huge balcony
First look: New Coast shopping centre for surprise site
A long-empty site in a surprise location will be transformed into a retail showroom complex under fresh plans lodged with the council. FIND OUT WHERE
Revealed: How much rent you need to pay in every Qld suburb
Rents have increased again in 252 Queensland suburbs, reversing the brief downward trend recorded just three months ago. See how your suburb compares!