Why was the request made to the Minister for Planning?
The Planning and Environment Act 1987 requires Council to request the Minister for Planning to apply interim heritage controls. Council itself cannot make this change to its planning scheme. Council made this request to the Minister on 9 December 2019.
Why has Council requested the Amendment?
Amendment C185port provides interim heritage protection for the buildings within the Montague Commercial Precinct in Fishermans Bend whilst Council pursues permanent heritage controls through Amendment C186port.
The Montague Commercial Precinct was assessed in the Fishermans Bend Heritage Review: Montague Commercial Precinct (RBA Architects and Conservation Consultants, 2019) (the Review). The Review provides justification for the additional heritage controls, and confirms that the Montague Commercial Precinct is of local historic, aesthetic and representative significance to Port Phillip.
A Statement of Significance has been prepared for the Montague Commercial Precinct, which outlines how, why, and what is significant about it. The following is an extract from the Statement of Significance:
What is significant?
The Montague Commercial Precinct, comprising 496-546 City Road and 151-163 Montague Street, South Melbourne is significant. This small precinct comprises a group of late nineteenth century and early twentieth century buildings (encompassing the Victorian, Federation and Interwar periods) situated around the intersection of City Road and Montague Street in South Melbourne.
The buildings mostly comprise two storey buildings originally constructed as shops and residences, and single storey shops. There is also a former hotel and a house.
The two storey Victorian and Federation era former shops and residences are similar in form materials, finishes and detailing. All are of masonry construction and are smooth rendered with upper levels that are often enlivened by cement-rendered ornament. Some retain early or original shopfronts (Nos. 496, 498, 514, 518, 524-28, 544-546 City Road).
The Interwar period shops are all single storey and masonry. The former Hotel Nelson is a typical corner hotel with a splayed corner entrance and later Interwar alterations with restrained classical detailing.
The only house in the precinct at 506 City Road is a single fronted terrace with a hip roof and a projecting gabled bay in the Queen Anne style with some Victorian detailing.
The streets have basalt kerbs and channels and there are nineteenth century pitched basalt lanes with central one-pitcher drain between the Hotel Nelson and 163 Montague Street and at the rear of 153-161 Montague Street and 524-28 City Road.
The buildings at 496 and 498 (shops and residences), 506 (house), 512 and 514 (shops and residences), 516 and 518 (shops and residences), 520 to 522 (former Hotel Nelson), 524 to 528 (shops and residences), 532, to 538 (shops and residences), 544 to 546 (shops) City Road and 151 (shop), 163 (shop and residence) Montague Street, and the basalt kerb and channel and laneways are Significant to the precinct.
The buildings at 540 to 542 (shop) City Road and 153 and 155 (shops), 157 to 161 (shops) Montague Street are Contributory to the precinct.
The buildings at 500 and 502, 508 and 510, and 530 City Road are Non-Contributory.
How is it significant?
The Montague Commercial Precinct of local historical, aesthetic, representative and social significance to the City of Port Phillip.
Why is it significant?
The Montague Commercial Precinct is historically significant as a remnant of the former Montague neighbourhood, home to a tight knit working class community since the 1860s/70s, which was designated a slum by authorities and otherwise almost entirely demolished and replaced with industrial and commercial buildings from the early 20th century onwards.
It is reflective of the earlier finer subdivision pattern in Montague, which has changed due to the redevelopment of land for industry during the mid-20th century. The precinct also includes a house dating to 1914, one of few surviving in the Montague area. As such, the precinct is associated with a now disappeared aspect of South Melbourne's history. (Criteria A and B)
The precinct is significant as a representative and largely intact example of a typical small local commercial centre surrounding an intersection and on a former tram route.
The precinct is defined by two prominent corner buildings, the former Hotel Nelson at 520 to 522 City Road and the shops and residences at 524 to 528 City Road. It is also distinctive within the Montague area as a remnant group of late nineteenth and early twentieth century buildings, encompassing the late Victorian, Federation and Interwar periods, in an area that has otherwise been redeveloped.
In addition, several early 20th century shopfronts survive. (Criteria D and E).
