Southbank heritage controls finally before minister

By David Schout

A planning scheme amendment that will protect some of Southbank’s most important buildings has finally been sent to the Minister for Planning.

Important landmarks like the Castlemaine Brewery, Queens Bridge Hotel and Ron Robertson-Swann’s Vault sculpture will be protected if Minister for Planning Richard Wynne gives Amendment C305: Southbank Heritage the tick of approval.

In what is a long-awaited moment for the City of Melbourne and the Southbank community, the finalised amendment was adopted at a December 15 City of Melbourne council meeting.

“Planning scheme amendments are long and tortuous but this is the final part for us — let’s hope the minister doesn’t sit on this one for too long,” Cr Rohan Leppert said.

In 2017 Cr Leppert, the council’s heritage portfolio chair, commissioned a review into Southbank heritage.

The review identified key locations within the local area that were worthy of “protection” under the planning scheme — that is, where higher levels of scrutiny should be applied to any future development plans on the site.

The final document included some changes, including places where the buildings had been redeveloped since the review was conducted or where it was determined the threshold for local heritage significance had not been met.

“We have a large number of buildings and objects that weren’t protected in the planning scheme before, but now have varying levels of protection, and that is a wonderful thing,” Cr Leppert said.

“[This] finally brings those heritage controls for Southbank up to date. In such a central city, highly contested area where land values are high, that is no small feat. This is a spectacular achievement.”

Lord Mayor Sally Capp said it was important to protect buildings or locations of importance, even in areas not renowned for their historical landmarks.

“I know some people would be very surprised that there is indeed heritage to protect in Southbank,” she said.

“It is an area more renowned for modern skyscrapers than it is for heritage. But now, through this work, we’re going to be able to preserve and protect those stories, that character and that personality that Southbank can proudly claim as its own.”

The timeframe for a government decision on Amendment C305 is not known, however there are a number of important council planning amendments still sitting with the Minister for Planning, including Planning Scheme Amendment C308: Urban design in the central city and Southbank •