North Melbourne Heritage Review Decision Due

North Melbourne property owners are on alert as the City of Melbourne’s Future Melbourne Committee considers a heritage review that could impact the status of buildings in the area.

Owners of the affected properties would face new restrictions.

The review was first brought to the committee in April 2022 as Amendment C403 to the Melbourne Planning Scheme where it was resolved that the Victorian planning minister should authorise the amendment.

An exhibition period for the amendment was then opened.

Several submissions were made and the committee will look at the changes made to the review in response to those submissions at its next meeting on Tuesday, February 21.

Planning officers have recommended that the committee endorse the changes made to the review and vote to ask the Victorian planning minister to convene a panel to consider all the submissions made.

The study area for the review included 405 properties that were considered to be significant in heritage status, according to council documents.

Properties listed on the Victorian Heritage Register as contributory or significant will have restrictions around what can occur in terms of changes, development or demolition of the property.

One of the submissions suggested the addition of the three-storey circa 1880s warehouse building at 8 Jones Place in North Melbourne to the review with a listing of significant.

The building is thought to have been used by the King and King drapery and textile business.

▲ The circa 1880s warehouse building at 8 Jones Place in North Melbourne was a suggested addition to the heritage review. Image: Corelogic/Realestate.com.au

Another heritage review of properties within the Hoddle Grid of Melbourne’s CBD was undertaken last year.

It found that many inter-war period buildings had not been added to the Victorian Heritage Register and were in danger of being demolished.

A heritage review of buildings at South Yarra was endorsed late last year and one in Carlton is also under way.

Many developers are moving towards adaptive re-use and retrofitting of older buildings to preserve heritage facades and architecture but also in a move to be more environmentally and financially sustainable with their projects.

Milieu is one such developer, working on a project in Park Street in Brunswick that will see the retrofitting of a 1960s building to create 17 apartments. 

“We just thought that somebody would probably buy the property and demolish it, and then that building would end up in landfill,” Milieu director Shannon Peach said.

“Whereas with a mild renovation the residents can be extremely comfortable, which is much more sustainable than demolishing and building again.”