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'Yarrabin' is situated on 32 Kangaloon Road, Bowral and was assessed to have a heritage significance to the Wingecarribee Shire.

A report presented to councillors said the site met the threshold for heritage listing.

Dennis McManus spoke in support of the heritage listing in public forum which was on the council agenda at the Extraordinary Meeting of Council on August 12, 2020.

"The report to council is very clear and it spells out the significance of 'Yarrabin', especially the garden, and there is absolutely a clear case for heritage listing," he said.

"The garden is important for its intrinsic value which contains a number of significant trees.

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"It's also significant as an example of a prominent garden open to the public under the Open Garden Scheme of the 1950s and the 1960s.

"The property is associated with Tim and Keva North, they were devoted gardeners and authors and lived in Yarrabin from 1983 to 1994."

Mr McManus said the house was also significant.

"The house is an attractive, solemnly built home typical of the modern style house designed between the wars," he said.

"We don't know for sure yet but it could've been built by Alf Stephens.

"The back of the house, the rear portion was designed by prominent heritage architect Howard Tanner.

"The Heritage Advisory Committee looked at the site in July and supports a heritage listing."

Mr McManus said the 'Yarrabin' represented two problems of a general nature which affected heritage sites in Wingecarribee Shire.

"One is that a number of heritage items are not heritage listed and are not within conservation areas," he said.

"The second matter is one of general concern, and that is the impact of medium density house and seniors housing on existing residential areas, particularly in Bowral.

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"Of course medium density housing should be positive, it's a good thing to have but it should not be at the price of major destruction of existing residential areas of high landscape value and conservation areas."

Councillor Grahame McLaughlin moved the recommendation to place the property on an interim heritage order and that a planning proposal be prepared under section 3.33 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 to add 'Yarrabin' house and garden as a new heritage item. It was seconded by Councillor Peter Nelson.

"It is well known by the neighbours that the old gentleman that lived there had been approached on many occasions by developers to sell his property," he said.

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"He was insistent that he wanted the garden and the home not to be split up and he requested that and told his neighbours that.

"The neighbours were very concerned when the property was passed down to his daughter.

"We've got to be very aware of what we want to protect.

"It does tick five of the seven boxes, it should've been included in the conservation area but now is our opportunity to put an interim heritage order and the opportunity for the developers and community to have their say as it will be on public exhibition."

Cr McLaughlin asked councillors to support the recommendation.

"We can't afford to keep losing properties that need to be protected."

The recommendation was voted on was carried unanimously by councillors present.

The interim heritage order will be in place for 12 months.

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