RHSV Congratulates Minister for Planning on Melbourne Heritage Amendment

On Friday, 9th September 2022, the Hon. Lizzie Blandthorn, MP, Minister for Planning, approved Planning Amendment C387, extending the Heritage Overlay to protect 121 individual buildings and five (5) precincts. Of these sites, roughly one third date from before 1914, somewhat over a third date from 1914-45, and somewhat less than a third date from 1945-75.

For the past five years, the RHSV has been calling for a review of protections in Melbourne. In 2020, the Hoddle Grid Heritage Review was initiated. We have strongly supported it since then and we congratulate the Minister on approving the protections proposed in the Review.

This represents a major victory for the preservation of heritage in Melbourne. While the Heritage Overlay does not offer absolute protection and while the City of Melbourne’s record on preservation is poor, this significant extension of the Heritage Overlay means that these historic buildings will have a good chance of preservation. We have caught up on years of neglect, where many fine buildings have been lost because they were not given protection before demolition was requested. Let us hope that this begins a new era for Melbourne.

Further information see Cara Waters & Sophie Aubrey, ‘“Day to rejoice” as city boosts heritage list”, The Age, 13 September 2022.

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