Lorrae Desmond's childhood home will be focus of local planning panel report

At the April 17 ordinary meeting, council's executive manager of strategic outcomes Deniz Kilic said an interim heritage order (IHO) was issued for 2 Pioneer Street, Mittagong on February 23.

It was published and put in place in the state government's gazette, which is the permanent public record of official notices issued in NSW.

The meeting agenda said an IHO was recommended by staff due to the "imminent threat" to the home from Complying Development Certificates issued by private certifiers for their demolition.

An IHO was also issued 48-50 Old in Mittagong, but it has since been demolished.

Both sites were included in the Draft Community Heritage Study 2021-23, and were recommended for heritage listing.

"However, the status of the draft Community Heritage Study means that the sites are not afforded any statutory protection to guard against the use of complying development," the agenda said.

The heritage evidence sheet attached to the agenda said the home was built between 1895 and 1898.

It said it was significant due to being Ms Desmond's childhood home, and that it "illustrates the development of the Pioneer Street section of Mittagong in the very late 19th century".

It had "principal characteristics of a class of the local area's heritage" from the late Victorian era, it said.

The meeting paperwork also said it was in a "poor state of repair following internal fires", but the outside was "relatively intact".

Advice was received by the council on February 7 that a complying development application to demolish Ms Desmond's house was received.

it was in the process of being assessed by a private certifier, which was blocked by the IHO.

The agenda said a decision would be made regarding heritage listing as part of recommendations of the Community Heritage Study, prior to the expiration of the IHO.

The government gazette mentioned in the agenda said such decisions that could be made included placing the site on the local environment plan schedule with protection provisions, or for it to be nominated for inclusion on the State Heritage Register.

The draft study is currently being peer reviewed independently, and will be reported in an extraordinary Local Planning Panel meeting next month.

The council agenda said the official results of the peer review, which include the recommendation for the heritage listing, will be subject to public exhibition after it is considered by the panel.

Following this, a report will be considered by the panel then the council for a final decision.