Sibanengi Dube
Brimbank council is stepping up efforts to protect 200 heritage buildings in its jurisdiction.
Councillors agreed at the recent council meeting to consider adding teeth to its by-laws to help regulate the preservation of heritage sites or buildings.
During the meeting, mayor Bruce Lancashire expressed concern at the flagrant demolition of heritage sites by ‘unscrupulous property owners’..
“In 2021, the state government introduced tough new laws into parliament to strengthen Victoria’s building system and provide greater protection for heritage listed places,” he said.
“The new provisions under the planning and environment act 1987 were aimed at preventing developers from benefiting from the unlawful demolition or neglect of our precious built heritage.
“In some cases the heritage buildings are left to fall into delay by unscrupulous developers in order to attain demolition by stealth.”
The mayor implored his colleague to enact tough heritage local laws that bite property owners who neglect or demolish heritage buildings.
“In 2021 the state government introduced new tough laws to protect Victoria heritage buildings from demolition,” he said.
“This protection cannot come into effect unless a provision is included in a local planning scheme.
“It is now considered timely to include such a provision into the Brimbank planning scheme to provide protection for our heritage buildings against their demolition by neglect.
“Our heritage buildings are a very important part of Brimbank’s history.
“Council has a responsibility to protect Brimbank’s heritage through the legislation it has available to it, which is through the application of the Heritage Overlay.”
Councillors will receive a report at a future council meeting about requiring owners to maintain their heritage buildings.
