2017-05-02
Ms PENNICUIK (Southern Metropolitan) — My constituency question is for the Minister for Planning. The community of St Kilda and beyond is extremely concerned about the apparent imminent demolition of the Greyhound Hotel. The community values the Greyhound as a historic landmark, a local pub and a music and entertainment venue, especially for the LGBTI community. At its ordinary meeting on 19 April 2017 the City of Port Phillip resolved to request that the Minister for Planning authorise the preparation and exhibition of amendment C148 to the Port Phillip planning scheme to apply a permanent heritage overlay and associated controls to 1 Brighton Road, St Kilda, and to request the minister prepare and approve amendment C147 to apply an interim heritage overlay to 1 Brighton Road, St Kilda, while permanent controls are progressed. I ask the minister to act with urgency on this issue to prevent the loss of yet another much-loved heritage building.
ANSWER on 8 June 2017:
On the 4 May 2017, I refused council's requests to introduce interim and permanent heritage controls over the Greyhound Hotel at 1 Brighton Street, St Kilda for the following reasons:
1. Consent for demolition of the building under the Building Act 1993 had already been issued.
2. The Greyhound Hotel Cultural Heritage Values Assessment did not establish the building's significance beyond reasonable doubt. The report identified several other examples of hotels and buildings with a similar history and level of social significance. The Greyhound Hotel appears to be no more or less significant than these.
3. There may be other non-statutory means of recognising the hotels historic (cultural) and social significance as outlined in the report by Context Pty Ltd.
Unfortunately, the City of Port Phillip did not identify the significance of the hotel in its past heritage reviews and did not take the opportunity to seek interim protection when the request for a demolition permit was submitted. I am unable to revoke the demolition permit.
I understand that the owner of the building has commenced demolition of the site.