On behalf of the Save Frogmore campaigners, GERA is asking readers to assist in lobbying Councillors, prior to next Tuesday’s (9/6) meeting, to reject a recommendation to abandon Planning Scheme Amendment C137 which applies a Heritage Overlay (HO154) on Frogmore House (1 Wahgoo Street, Carnegie).
The recommendation to abandon Heritage Protection for Frogmore is found in the Officer’s Report included as Item 9.6 in the Meeting Agenda and reads as follows:
“Recommendation
That Council
- Abandons Planning Scheme Amendment C137 and advises the Minister for Planning, and
- Writes to the Minister for Planning withdrawing the request for interim heritage controls over the land (Amendment 136)”
The information presented to support abandoning the Heritage Overlay is highly questionable (and will be questioned in our next posting). A vote accept the äbandonment will see Frogmore disappear forever in the “figurative blink of an eye“. On the other hand, a vote to reject the recommendation to abandon the amendment will
- acknowledge the key issue of heritage and it’s value to the community by
- re-affirming the findings of the council commissioned Independent Heritage Advisor’s Assessment, which deemed Frogmore as meeting the threshold for inclusion in the local heritage overlay under Clause 21.10 of the Local Planning Policy Framework – a framework which Council has a responsibility to uphold.
- allowing the planning approval process, as recommended by the Independent Heritage Advisor Assessment, and voted for by Council on 3/2/2015, to run its due course (and save Frogmore for at least as long as the planning approval process takes).
- be accordance with
- Council’s heritage policies and strategies of
- Protecting places identified as having architectural, cultural or historical significance.
- Ensuring sympathetic redevelopment and renovation of areas and places identified as having architectural, cultural or historic significance in the municipality.
- the objectives of planning for Victoria (as identified in the Planning and Environment Act 1987) of
- Conserving and enhancing those buildings, areas or other places which are of scientific, aesthetic, architectural or historical interest, or otherwise of special cultural value; and
- Balancing the present and future interests of all Victorians.
- Council’s heritage policies and strategies of
Details of significance of Frogmore are available in GERA’s earlier postings
Save Frogmore, Save Frogmore – Part 2, Save Frogmore – Part 3 – The Planning Conference
As previously mentioned our next posting will review and question the Officers Report and it’s recommendation, however, at this stage that is a secondary concern. Right now our primary concern is “getting the word out” and encouraging readers to contact each Councillor, either by phone (leave a voice message if necessary) or email (to each Councillor individually – if the email is addressed to multiple Councillors only first Councillor will respond), prior to next Tuesday’s Council Meeting. Please do not rely on others to do the lobbying – they are relying on you.
Councillor Contact details
– click to enlarge
Glen Eira Residents' Association Inc 