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Camberwell Railway Station Heritage Overlay

Heritage Protection for Camberwell Railway Station

The Minister for Planning has approved Amendment C55 to the Boroondara Planning Scheme to include the Camberwell Railway Station within a Heritage Overlay (HO263).  The approval of the amendment ensures protection of the station buildings, station platforms, the landscaped garden along Cookson Street and the elevated walkways.

The Minister has approved the amendment in line with the Planning Panel’s recommendations, dismissing Council’s minor changes to the amendment.  The approved planning scheme documentation can be viewed on the Department of Sustainability and Environment’s website here.

The approved Heritage Overlay boundary includes a view-line from Railway Walk to the western edge of the main station building.  Council sought the view-line to be extended all the way to the Burke Road Bridge to allow the entire station complex to be viewed within its cutting and broader commercial setting as shown here.

An Incorporated Plan was also approved as part of the amendment.  This plan provides for a series of planning permit exemptions to ensure the easy day-to-day running of the station (for example, the repair and replacement of electronic signalling equipment will not require a planning permit).  

The approved Incorporated Plan additionally allows for buildings and works to be undertaken in accordance with a Conservation Management Plan and a Disability Access Plan.  Council sought the removal of this provision as these plans have not yet been prepared and have not been subject to public and Council scrutiny through the planning scheme amendment process.  A full analysis of the reasons for Council requesting this provision be removed is outlined here.

On 18 June 2007, Council’s Urban Planning Special Committee will consider an officer recommendation to commence the preparation of a Conservation Management Plan and to request that the Department of Infrastructure prepare a Disability Access Plan for the Station.  A Conservation Management Plan is a document that details all the important heritage values of a place and contains a strategy for conserving and managing the place into the future.  A copy of the officer report can be viewed here from 15 June 2007.

For more information on the Camberwell Railway Station Heritage Overlay, please contact Renae Jarman-Walker, Senior Strategic Planner, at renae.jarmanwalker@boroondara.vic.gov.au or on 9278 4537.

Background to Amendment C55

Heritage Council Assessment

In August 2004, Heritage Victoria completed a Heritage Assessment of the Camberwell Railway Station to determine whether the Station met the criteria for inclusion onto the Victorian Heritage Register.

On 13 August 2004, Heritage Victoria advised Council that the Station did not meet the threshold for registration and that instead the place should be included under a Heritage Overlay within the Boroondara Planning Scheme in recognition of its local heritage significance.

Subsequent to Heritage Victoria's advice, a hearing into the heritage significance of the site was requested by the National Trust of Australia (Victoria). The hearing was conducted by the Registrations Committee of the Heritage Council on 1 December 2004 where they considered that the Station may be of State-level heritage significance.  A provisional determination was made to include the place on the Victorian Heritage Register pursuant to Section 42(c) of the Heritage Act 1995.

Under Section 42(3) of the Heritage Act, a provisional determination is treated as a recommendation of the Executive Director of Heritage Victoria and is required to be considered further by the Heritage Council before a place can be officially included in the Victorian Heritage Register.

Further consideration by the Registrations Committee of the Heritage Council into the Station occurred on 2 September 2005. On 11 November 2005, the City of Boroondara was notified that:

'The Camberwell Railway Station is not of State significance and is not appropriate for inclusion on the Heritage Register. Accordingly, the Committee declines to register the place.'

The Registrations Committee did find however that it was appropriate for the Station to be protected under the Planning and Environment Act 1987 and recommended that it be included in a Heritage Overlay under the Boroondara Planning Scheme.

Planning Scheme Amendment

On 27 March 2006, Council resolved to pursue a Planning Scheme Amendment (Amendment C55) to include Camberwell Railway Station within a Heritage Overlay under the Boroondara Planning Scheme in recognition of its local heritage significance.  The minutes of the Council meeting are included under the ‘Council Report – 27 March 2006’ link below.

Authorisation from the Minister for Planning to prepare the amendment was received on 20 April 2006 and the amendment was placed on public exhibition from the 18 May to the 23 June 2006.  Nine submissions were received including objections. The objections could not be resolved.

At the request of Council, the Minister for Planning appointed a Planning Panel, Chaired by Ms J Moles, to hear submissions relating to Amendment C55 on 25 August 2006.

The Panel Hearing was held from 1-3 November 2006 in the Council Chamber, Camberwell.  At the hearing, the Panel heard submissions from Council, Connex/VicTrack, Tenterfield, Department of Infrastructure (Public Transport Division), Boroondara Residents Action Group and Ms M Drost.  Written submissions received by Council during the exhibition period were also referred to the Panel for their consideration. 

The Panel submitted their report to Council recommending that Amendment C55 to the Boroondara Planning Scheme be adopted in a modified form.  Specifically, the Panel recommended:

  • The boundary of the Heritage Overlay should be redrawn to exclude the former goods yard area to the south of the station, except for the southern elevated walkway, due to the lack of heritage fabric remaining in the area;
  • The possible inclusion of land contained within a view-line that extends from where the southern entry to the elevated footbridge meets Railway Walk to the western end of the station platform canopy; and
  • An Incorporated Plan to be included for the station site.

The area recommended by the Panel to be included in the Heritage Overlay, including the view-line, can be viewed here.

A full copy of the Panel Report can be downloaded here.

On 26 February 2007, Council’s Urban Planning Special Committee adopted Amendment C55 in a form that was consistent with the Panel’s recommendations except for two changes:

  • The view-line in the south-west of the site, forming part of the southern boundary of the Heritage Overlay, was extended from the end of the station buildings to the Burke Road Bridge.
  • The final two bullet points of the Panel-recommended Incorporated Plan which relate to planning permit exemptions were deleted.

The reasons for these changes are summarised here.

The minutes from the Urban Planning Committee Meeting and the report considered at that meeting can be viewed here.

The Minister approved Amendment C55 to the Boroondara Planning Scheme on 21 May 2007 in a form that was consistent with the Panel’s recommendation, dismissing Council’s two changes.

Created: 15 May 2006
Last Update: 29 October 2008