By Mikayla van Loon
Yarra Ranges Council has recognised the need for a number of buildings across Lilydale to be given heritage overlay status or updates to their current heritage protection.
The agenda item, which was meant to be heard at the council meeting on Tuesday 12 July but was postponed for two weeks, recommended councillors put the heritage overlay adjustments to the State government planning minister Lizzie Blandthorn.
This has been something Lilydale Historical Society president Sue Thompson has been campaigning for for many years, beginning the process to nominate the heritage buildings early last year.
As of December, Ms Thompson was hopeful the council would apply for changes to the planning scheme to protect some of Lilydale’s oldest buildings.
“Without that heritage protection, owners can bulldoze some of our oldest buildings overnight. Community outcry would be the only check and balance but even that failed with the destruction by neglect of the former Lilydale Fire Station,” Ms Thompson said in an end of year message for the Star Mail.
Some of the buildings the council will request heritage overlays for include the Olinda Hotel, the Crown Hotel, the former Hutchinson’s Store, now Hutch & Co, Lilydale Primary School and Lilydale Heritage Railway Station Goods Shed.
The White Dog Hotel has also been identified for special consideration and amendments to the heritage overlays.
Mayor Jim Child raised an alternative motion at the council meeting to postpone the decision on this recommendation due to some background information being left out of the agenda.
All councillors agreed to the postponement, meaning the item will be heard at the Tuesday 26 July meeting.
