16 Mayne Street Invermay, TAS, 7248

This is a period property, in keeping with the area and surrounding houses. Why is it being demolished?

Can I register a complaint?

Demolishing historical buildings in this area sets a precedent others will follow. We don’t want a mini- Sydney or Melbourne please.

I hope the ambiguous description refers to demolishing out buildings and not the house itself. It is regrettable that the fine stand of Federation architecture in Mayne Street does not have a heritage protection. I strongly object to demolition or alteration of heritage facades in my street. The houses complement the fine primary school on the corner of Holbrook Street and reflect the important history of the street with regards to its industrial past. My partner Tony Komives is an Environmental Health Officer with the LCC.

Hi Veronica,

Sorry if this comes up as a 3rd submission (which kicks off another process) but I guess as at least 2 people have read it as the demolition of the house (I did at first too) maybe it is an indication that they need to be clearer with their DAs.

I think you are safe this time - unless I missed something. I think the house stays and there is going to be a shed built in the back yard.

BUT - Hardly any of the streets have any protection at all in Launceston because the LCC has failed to implement the Paul Davies report (finished in 2007) and create local heritage precincts. Many of the houses identified as having historic value in that survey have since been, knowingly by council planners and aldermen, knocked down. The council started to do another heritage survey (to replace the first ignored one) from scratch 4 years ago (at the cost of $250,000) and is due to be completed in 12 months (Last I heard). The council are, despite what they claim, very very pro development at almost any cost, so the current survey is also likely to be swept under the carpet. Other councils have local heritage precincts, so why don't LCC ? Could it be that they think they can zap through as many developments as possible in the interim ? The only real protection anything in Launceston has is if people do research in their own time and nominate places (individual houses) for registration on the Heritage Tasmania protected list. Anyone can nominate a place. It is kind of Russian roulette though because you have to try and predict which place is most likely to be picked off next by a greedy developer. Veronica - you ask if Mayne St has any heritage protection - it doesn't because people haven't nominated it ! You would really need to see if any were on the register already, and do some research into the houses to see if any of them fit the criteria. LCC would rather if they were not on the register, so they are not going to do it. It is up to us !

I have been carrying on about this for nearly 20 years in Launceston (started when the 1850s convict built house next door to me was knocked down in Canning St for a carpark) so it has been going on for a long time. With the increase in land prices, it wont take mainland investors long to notice that we simple country folk don't know what we have, and they are free to pick off anything they want and build anything they think they can make a few dollars from. Indeed it has started already ! I have moved to a new address, and this time the house being demolished is 2 doors up, and let me tell you it is horrible to see a historic house being pulled down when you can see it through your window & have to drive past it daily as it slowly gets demolished.

VERONICA & CHARMAINE START RESEARCHING & NOMINATING !!

Anyway - just my 2c worth.

Cheers,
Allan

I agree with the concerns expressed about demolition of character buildings in our character street-scapes - just look at the nightmare proposal for the new-build at 269 Charles Street. However, if the people who expressed concern about possible demolition of the house at 16 Mayne St had looked at the actual DA documentation on the council website they would have easily seen that it is an application to demolish existing sheds and build new ones.

It's not hard to look at an actual DA - and you can see all proposed developments which are currently being considered by using the "View all current development applications" link on this webpage
https://www.launceston.tas.gov.au/Business-and-Development/Planning/Advertised-Development-Applications

The Planning Alerts webpage you are looking at and reading this comment on provides you with the relevant DA reference number for a proposed development. If you put the DA reference number into the DA search box accessed via the menu on the left side of the webpage that comes up on the "View all current developments" link you can see all of the planning documents relating to that development.
https://onlineservice.launceston.tas.gov.au/eProperty/P1/PublicNotices/AllPublicNotices.aspx?r=P1.LCC.WEBGUEST&f=%24P1.ESB.PUBNOTAL.ENQ

One word of caution though - the search engine on the council website seems to be in a permanent state of "broken" and does not like finding DAs unless you have the actual DA reference number.

Please don't make assumptions if you don't have all the facts. Making objections to council causes unnecessary complications for those who wish to make improvements/restorations to their much loved homes. While I agree wholeheartedly the beautiful old homes should be saved, it is important to keep things in perspective. Take time to check your information before you decide to make an issue of something that is incorrect.