Thursday, July 3, 2008

Illegal demolition at 25 Barak Road

The house at 25 Barak Road was illegally demolished on Sunday morning. In what appears to have been a highly planned operation, heavy equipment was brought to the site early. A chain saw cut through the roof, and then the front wall was knocked in.
This is/was a semi detached house but the neighbours had not been notified. Construction work is not permitted on a Sunday anyway.
No demolition or planning permits had been obtained. The house is in a Heritage Overlay and a permit is required for renovations. The owner will be prosecuted.
This estate was the first built by the Housing Commission after its establishment in 1938 to provide rental housing for people in dire need of decent accommodation. Its layout is unique.