By Tom Cowie
A new system allowing the public to nominate houses for heritage protection in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs has sparked accusations of racism and fears it could be weaponised by vigilantes.
At a fiery meeting this week, City of Boroondara councillors faced down objectors to pass a recommendation that eight new properties proposed by the community be included in a heritage overlay.
This Balwyn home was nominated for heritage protection without the owner’s knowledge.Credit: Luis Enrique Ascui
The houses – in Balwyn, Camberwell, Kew and Surrey Hills – were the first batch put forward as part of the “community heritage nomination process” adopted by Boroondara Council last year. Only one of the houses was nominated by its owner.
Heritage protections can be controversial as they restrict what an owner can do to a house, especially when it comes to renovations or demolition.
In a report presented to the meeting on Monday night, council officers said the public approach, which received 26 nominations, would ensure the investigation of potential heritage places was “consistent, transparent and efficient”.
However, during a three-hour debate, opponents argued the nomination process would have the opposite effect by allowing people to recommend a property for heritage protection without the owner’s consent.
In one case, a member of the public proposed a Californian bungalow in Clapham Street, Balwyn, be included on the list after it sold in July last year – but before the property had settled in October. The new owner was unaware of the nomination because there was no obligation to relay the information.
The owner, who declined to be named, said they had found out about the potential heritage protection of their new home in May.
“We will be the first of many innocent bystanders who get caught in this well-intentioned but misused process,” they said.
Other objectors said the process could be weaponised by people who were unhappy with their neighbours.
Mark Patel, from Balwyn, said he had recently bought a property that wasn’t under a heritage overlay but was worried one of his neighbours might put it forward if they opposed his plans.
He said the process began with good intentions, but he worried it could be used to threaten owners.
Boroondara Mayor Lisa Hollingsworth.Credit: Aaron Francis
“Now I live in fear that one of these vigilantes will nominate it for protection,” he said.
“The heritage process should be fully impartial and should not be in the hands of the neighbourhood gestapo roaming the streets and intimidating people like myself.”
In response, Boroondara Mayor Lisa Hollingsworth said she was concerned with the language some objectors were using.
“Could … the presenters be mindful they’re talking about their neighbours, potential friends and members of the community,” she said.
Another objector, Chan Su, said many of the homes being put forward were owned by people of Asian descent and suggested racial background was a factor in nominations.
“If they’re doing it for an ulterior motive, the public deserves to know what the ulterior motives are,” he said.
The owner of this Balwyn home says allowing the public to nominate homes for protection is well intentioned but could cause problems.Credit: Luis Enrique Ascui
Councillor Wes Gault, who chaired the meeting, rejected the allegations of racism and said the claims veered towards being potentially defamatory.
Scott Walker, director of urban living at Boroondara, said an owner’s ethnicity was not relevant when determining heritage.
Hollingsworth described the racism allegations, which were circulated on a website and in letterbox flyers, as offensive and upsetting.
“I’ve never sat in this chamber before, and it’s been accused or implied that we as councillors, council officers or our community are racist, and that, to me, was incredibly disturbing,” she said.
Camberwell resident Nerida Muirden supported the proposal and said it was important to protect homes that might have been missed in wider heritage reviews.
“It’s important that as a city … protect our well-designed heritage neighbourhoods,” she said. “They are becoming increasingly rarer across Boroondara.”
Another supporter, Sue Barnett – president of the Surrey Hills Historical Society – said the homes included had been subjected to heritage criteria with rigour.
“We support the nominations on the basis of the properties, not the owners, of whom we have no knowledge,” she said.
Councillors rejected an amendment to put the community nomination process on hold until after the October council elections.
“I think it’s true to say that the process was adopted with good intentions, but as the old saying goes, the road to hell is paved with good intentions,” said councillor Jim Parke while calling for a pause.
The councillors voted in favour of the process.
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