By Charlene Macaulay
Carter Avenue and the Manor Estate in Werribee could soon be protected by a heritage overlay under a Wyndham council plan to recognise the historical significance of both sites.
The council is requesting permission from the state planning minister to prepare heritage overlays for both sites, which were identified as being worthy of protection by the community back in 2017.
The council has also sought interim planning controls until permanent controls are approved to prevent any potential demolition.
The Manor Estate in Werribee was built by Percy Chirnside from 1895-96 and was mostly destroyed by fire in 1966. Heritage overlay mapping covers stone wall remnants and some trees, but this new application aims to apply the heritage overlay to the wider site and plantings.
The council also wants to apply a heritage overlay on Carter Avenue in Werribee, a residential street of 20 residential properties that was originally built as a housing estate for the Carter brothers’ factory employees. The street is an extension of the Carter estate, which is already protected by a heritage overlay.
Councillor Tony Hooper said this was the first formal step towards celebrating and acknowledging locally significant precincts.
