Sign of backflip

By Melissa Meehan
THE Shire of Yarra Ranges has performed a back flip over the historically significant Signs Hill precinct after deciding at last week’s council meeting to approve the subdivision of 26 lots.
Late last year the shire resolved to ask the Minister for Planning to appoint an independent panel to consider Planning Scheme Amendment C43 which would allow for the restructure of the former hospital site, houses and land in Yuonga Road, Salisbury Avenue and Blackwood Avenue.
The amendment called for re-subdivision of the now privately owned land from three lots into a total of 26.
The hospital and health resort complex is proposed to be split into a body corporate style subdivision of six lots.
The amendment was originally released for community consultation in June 2004 and while some objections were resolved before the matter went before the panel, submissions from local historian Ellena Biggs and from the National Trust remained unsolved.
The panel hearing was held on 17 December last year.
The shire’s submission to the panel recommended that a heritage overlay be applied over the entire hospital site as they found it to be of heritage significance.
The panel did not support the council’s submission or that of the submitters, that the whole site warranted heritage protection, instead highlighting the value of the hospital buildings and grounds.
Both Ms Biggs and the National Trust argued that the site was historically significant because of its association with the activities of the Seventh Day Adventist Church and Hospital.
Ms Biggs submitted that the houses on the Signs Hill area have a historic association with the “holistic philosophy” of the Seventh Day Adventist Church in providing housing, employment and spiritual wellbeing for its community.
The panel report indicated that further work would be required to verify the heritage significance of the whole site and should be broadened to include the wider Signs Hill precinct, which includes land outside the amendment.
It also found that the shire’s recommendation that the proposed heritage overlay for the site include internal controls of the hydrotherapy building was unnecessary.
“Internal controls should not be applied to the hydrotherapy building as it is concluded, through examination of photographs supplied by the applicant, that it has been substantially altered,” the report stated.
“The hydrotherapy facilities are not sufficiently intact to warrant the application of internal controls.”
During their meeting last week councillors voted to allow the re-subdivision of the site, forgetting all claims that the entire site had heritage value, instead focusing their energy towards protecting the hydrotherapy building.
Councillor Samantha Dunn said it was important to protect heritage areas within the shire.
“Internal controls over the hydrotherapy wing make us mindful that we are committed to a heritage study of that area,” Cr Dunn said.
“And I am concerned that the panel based its decision about the hydrotherapy wing based on seeing photos.”
Cr Jeanette McRae said that it was important to adopt a cautionary principal in relation to the hydrotherapy wing.
“We don’t want to be leaping ahead and lose something that could be historical,” Cr McRae said.
Gembrook MP Tammy Lobato said that the site was a very important part of Warburton’s history.
“It is important to determine and report on the historical significance of the site,” Ms Lobato said.