BACKGROUND On 10 December 2009, Richmond Icon Pty Ltd the developer of the Dimmeys Department Store at 140 Swan Street, Richmond, re-started the process to gain a permit from Heritage Victoria. Heritage Victoria is a government statutory authority whose brief is to preserve wherever possible buildings which are listed on the State Heritage Register. Heritage Victoria has a duty to assess the application placed before them and establish whether the proposed development will have a negative or significant affect on the heritage building. The decision to accept or reject the application is not made without considerable investigation of the proposal.

Heritage Victoria has now been through the period where a proposal is placed on view for public comment. Heritage Victoria is currently assessing the developer’s proposal. Over 600 signatures were collected for a Petition from ‘Fair Deal at Dimmeys’ which have now been presented to Heritage Victoria along with over 120 signatures from an on-line Petition were also presented to Heritage Victoria. This brings the total signatures presented to Heritage Victoria to over 700.

PREVIOUS APPLICATION Some believe that the developer obtained a permit from the previous application in early 2009. This is incorrect. The developer actually withdrew the application. The developer did not wait for Heritage Victoria or Yarra City Council to finalise their decision. Since withdrawing the application in early 2009, the developer has presented new plans and a fresh proposal for an even taller development. This is where the proposed development is now.

WHATS NEXT Yarra City Council will soon start the process of public consultation of the development and invite public comment once Council has received the application in the coming weeks. Yarra City Council will then start to evaluate the Dimmeys building redevelopment proposal.

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SAVE DIMMEYS NEWS JANUARY 2010