It’s a fine mess

By Melissa Meehan
LAUNCHING Place resident Catherine Ockwell says that council bureaucracy has gone too far.
Last week Ms Ockwell paid a $550 fine to the Shire of Yarra Ranges after failing to demolish her old house within three months of moving into her new home on her two-hectare (five-acre) property.
Ms Ockwell moved into her new home at the end of January and said she was under the impression that she had 12 months to demolish her old house at the front of her property.
“I spoke to a lady from the shire, and I’m sure she said I had 12 months to demolish,” Ms Ockwell said.
“But, as I have now realised, the permit says three months. I realise I was wrong, but it was an honest mistake.”
Ms Ockwell said she was alerted to her error by a letter from the shire during a Proactive Planning Permit Audit arranging a meeting.
“When they came, I thought they were very intimidating,” Ms Ockwell said.
“I was told I was going to be charged a $550 fine and if I didn’t pay then I would be taken to the Magistrates’ Court.”
She then wrote to Bill Howit, the head of the Planning Compliance Department, asking him to overrule the fees.
“He said no, but offered me a month’s extension,” Ms Ockwell said.
Ms Ockwell had planned to allow the local CFA to use her old house as a training drill for new recruits.
“I would have given them a sizeable donation and the local brigades were excited about the idea,” Ms Ockwell said.
“All I needed to do was get a permit.”
But Ms Ockwell’s plans were dealt a blow when she was told that it was now illegal to deliberately burn down an old house.
“I then went to apply for a permit for my children to demolish the house, but that wasn’t allowed either,” Ms Ockwell said.
“It seems only a registered demolisher can get a permit, at a cost to me of over $8000.”
Ms Ockwell said that the most disheartening thing about her experience was that she was always going to demolish her old house.
“It has no water or power, maybe they thought I was going to rent it out – but that was never my intention,” Ms Ockwell said.
Michael Sommerville, Shire of Yarra Ranges building, health and local laws manager, said that the permit had a clear condition that Ms Ockwell’s old house would need to be demolished within three months of moving into her new home.
“This was clearly understood and agreed to by the applicant in undertaking construction of the new dwelling,” Mr Sommerville said.
“This condition is a requirement of the planning scheme, which does not allow more than one dwelling on a property without a permit.”
He said Ms Ockwell’s plan to allow the local brigade to train young recruits by burning down her house was not favourable.
“The shire is not in favour of having the building burnt down, it would create an enormous amount of smoke and potentially harmful toxins,” Mr Sommerville said.
Ms Ockwell said she felt depressed and miserable about the situation.
“I hope my $550 fine helps to pay the second compliance officer the shire has employed,” Ms Ockwell said.
“It’s more than I get in a fortnight.”
She said she hoped her story would help other residents throughout the shire.
“Talking about it now won’t help me, but maybe it will help others in the future,” Ms Ockwell said. “Be careful, Big Brother is watching you.”