Richard Di Natale’s renovations push house rules

The Greens leader’s new city pad will have four bedrooms, solar panels, and a 5000 litre water tank.

Greens Senator Richard Di Natale. Photo: AAP

Greens leader Richard Di Natale is turning his hand to the profitable and popular venture of inner-city property development after lodging plans with the City of Melbourne to demolish his terrace home and build a plush ­double-storey, four-bedroom house in a deal valued at $800,000.

While Senator Di Natale’s new home will include the “must have” of any environmentally savvy dwelling — solar panels and a 5000-litre water tank — he has also sought special permission from the council to bypass planning rules that mandate the ­inclusion of two car park spaces and instead provide space for just one vehicle.

Senator Di Natale’s planning application states that the new home in North Melbourne is intended for a “progressive family” whose values align with sustainable lifestyles: walking, cycling or catching public transport rather than driving a car.

“The design proposal is intended for a young, progressive family, whose ideals align with those ­expressed by the City of Melbourne’s local planning policies in regards to sustainability both in lifestyle and preferred transport method,’’ Senator Di Natale’s ­application states.

The application says the property owners don’t have a “car-­centric approach’’ and that there is a strong possibility visitors to the Di Natale home will likely have a similar lifestyle. The North Melbourne home is jointly owned with his wife and she is listed as the owner on the application.

Prepared by Zen Architects, a multi-award-winning firm based in Fitzroy North, it concedes that as Senator Di Natale’s planned new house will have four bedrooms it is required to have two car spaces according to planning rules.

But the council is being asked to waive those provisions, given the nearby “sustainable” transport ­alternatives.

“The excellent provision of public transport, bicycle and pedestrian networks, combined with the proximity of the property to the CBD enable a shift from a reliance on vehicles towards sustainable alternatives,’’ the application says. “This application requests exemption of providing a second car park on this property.’’

The application also argues the provision of more than one car park space would be an “unrealistic percentage” of the property size. The application, prepared by consultants, states total construction costs estimated at $800,000.

A spokesman for Senator Di ­Natale declined to comment.

A spokeswoman for the City of Melbourne said generally municipal planning schemes required two car spaces for new three- or four-bedroom homes. “This also applies within the City of Melbourne, however we have many areas covered by a parking overlay which generally seek to minimise the provision of parking in favour of more sustainable transport options such as walking, cycling and public transport,’’ she said.

“The City of Melbourne is ­focused on making Melbourne a walking and cycling city with less reliance on cars, while also allowing for the provision of adequate on-site parking where appropriate. It is fairly common for people to apply for an exemption from car bay requirements. Each application is assessed on a case-by-case basis because each proposal differs, depending on the location and nature of the application.”

Arch Staver, director of local real estate agency Nelson Alexander, said the move to single car parks for larger family homes was a trend spreading “right across the inner city”. “You can’t discount the fact that having two car spaces adds enormous value to a piece of real estate in any of those suburbs, whether it be North Melbourne, Carlton or Fitzroy, but the appetite is nowhere near as insatiable as it once was.”