Archive: National Trust
Last Updated 13/8/10
(29/6/10 - P) The battle for the Windsor Hotel continues...
Here's the urgent plea from the National Trust:
The National Trust of Australia (Victoria) needs your help!
As you will have seen in Friday’s (18 June) Age the political implications of the Windsor saga are still making headlines.
In the meantime the Trust continues to pursue a review of the heritage merits of the approval. The decision has wide implications for the CBD’s heritage precincts and must not be left unchallenged.
On 8 April 2010, the Trust lodged at VCAT an application for review of the Minister’s Notice of Decision to approve a 91-metre tower at the Windsor Hotel.
On 30 April, the Halim Group lodged a ‘strike-out’ application with VCAT to have the Trust appeal struck-out on the basis that Heritage Victoria has issued a permit and no heritage planning permit is required.
The VCAT directions hearing, held on 21 May, subsequently determined the there is no jurisdiction at VCAT to hear a merits appeal on heritage overlay grounds, and that the Trust can only appeal the merits of the proposed ‘recreation stick’ that will protrude out over the Windsor Place laneway to the rear.
The Trust has a short window of opportunity to appeal that ‘strike-out’ at the Supreme Court. If we can get over this latest hurdle then we can get back to challenging the tower proposal at VCAT.
So why do we need your help?
Because if the ‘strike-out’ is not overturned there will be no public hearing on the broader impact of the tower on the whole Bourke Hill and parliamentary precincts. The Trust is a community organization with limited resources. And no one else is pursuing this matter.
The Windsor appeal is a ‘red-dot’ decision.
If the VCAT determination is not overturned, developers of places subject to Heritage Victoria permits such as the Windsor can play the economic argument card time and again irrespective of the values of a surrounding heritage precinct and with no regard to the discretionary height controls that are intended to inform development proposals.
We also need your help to ADVOCATE on other issues in the CBD.
The City of Melbourne has promised to review its heritage controls for the first time in 30 years and we need to hold them to account. The Parliamentary Precinct is just one example in the CBD of a major precinct which needs proper height controls, not discretionary ones. We need substance in our planning schemes… such heritage planning issues are an increasing part of the Trust’s professional work.
We need your help to enable the Trust to secure the best professional support to advocate against inappropriate development and for improved heritage and height controls in the CBD, including the Parliamentary and Bourke Hill Precincts.
We have established an online donation facility. Please visit www.nattrust.com.au or www.savethewindsor.com to make a secure online donation to assist our work.
Alternatively please call Caroline Molesworth on 0400 666096 to make a donation.
Thank you.
Paul Roser
Conservation Manager
National Trust of Australia (Victoria)
+61 3 9656 9802 6 +61 3 9654 8143
The National Trust is a non-government community organisation that relies on membership subscriptions and property entrance fees for its income. Donations of $2 or more are tax deductible.
Join Now and help us to conserve Victoria's heritage.
membership@nattrust.com.au Tel: 9656 9800 Fax: 9654 8143 www.nattrust.com.au
“Advice and opinions expressed by Trust members and staff are proffered in good faith but on the basis that no legal liability is accepted by the Trust or the individual concerned.”
(19/11/09 - P) Alert from Planning Backlash: Sign the petition today...
Some time ago the National Trust asked people to write to the Minister for Planning about the destruction of Melbourne's heritage he is approving.
The National Trust now asks your help to save the Windsor Hotel. http://www.savethewindsor.com/
This link takes you to the latest thing from their current newsletter and they again ask for help. Once you are in their website look at the Saveourcity section as well.
Melbourne's heritage is under threat because of a Government blindly approving anything a developer proposes, as long as it is BIG and preferably UGLY. It is our loss as we see MarvellousMelbourne being destroyed in front of our eyes. Once gone it is gone forever. The Brumby Government will go down in history as having destroyed so much of Melbourne's heritage, and for what?
(21/8/09 - P) Statewide campaign calling on State government to stop our past being destroyed by development
Here's the message from the Protectors of Public Land, who are helping the National Trust spread the word:
The National Trust is running a email campaign to save our city heritage - numbers of iconic city buildings are currently under threat.
The National Trust has prepared pro forma letters for you to select, copy, paste and send off by email. Please don't wait - send out at least one to Justin Madden, our favourite Minister!
The letters provided address:
The idea is to either post or cut and paste letters (with or without your changes) into an email (preferred). Click here for more information.