The table below shows that the overlay is hardly draconian, with its main purpose designed to maintain the estate's homogeneity and streetscapes. There are no restrictions on what colours the houses can be painted, and in the main recoats have been done tastefully. A number of homes have second storey additions with the second storey roofline on the same plane as the original roof and the results are quite pleasing. Some of the houses have had substantial alterations and the property at the corner of Christowel Street and Fairmont Avenue is a case in point. The house has been extended with a large underground garage and the general consensus is that it has been done very well, making the house more functional while keeping its 1930s charm. It is advisable to communicate with council early in the design process and there is a document that can be obtained from council explaining how to proceed.
Above is an excerpt from a council document that discusses heritage listings in Boroondara. There is far more detailed information you can get from them that applies specifically to the Golf Links Estate
Since the overlay was implemented there have been several more
applications for what could be regarded as inappropriate changes to The Golf
Links Estate. In the early 2000s an application was made to build flats behind
the shopping strip in Camberwell Road. This was vigorously opposed by the
residents but we had only a partial victory, reducing the development by one
storey and ensuring that it had a tiled roof, rather than tin. Later, an
application was made to turn the house at 463 Camberwell Road into a doctor's
surgery but this was rejected with car parking cited as a major issue. Then, an
application was made to run a childcare/learning centre from a property in
Lansell Crescent but this proposal also failed, with car parking again a major
stumbling block.
My layman's understanding (which may be incorrect and far too simplified?) is based on our own renovation. It essentially appears if the facade of the building looks the same you can do what you like as long as it doesn't cause confusion in styles from the street. In our case the house looks pretty original although down the driveway we were able to make changes to the facade of the garage even though it was visible from the street. We really only kept the four rooms and almost the rest of the house is brand new.
Two Storey:
Obviously as you look around the Estate you will see renovations where the the building has gone from one storey to two storey which is clearly visible from the street but sympathetic to the style of home.Substantial Changes:
Example - clearly visible from the street
1 Fairmont Avenue, Camberwell
There are examples where a house has changed substantially such as on the corner of Christowel and Fairmont where a large underground multi-car garage has been added to the house. Most people think it looks excellent from the street and has actually added to the estate. It is certainly much more functional than what was there prior, it keeps the 1930's look but has made the home much more practical for the 21st century.
Another example - visible from the street
And there is 9 Fairmont Avenue where a completely modern style of roofing has been added during the renovation, some people like it, others not so much.
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Looking at these and numerous other examples in the Estate give you some idea of what is possible, it's not just bland and having to look exactly as it always has, it can have some vavavoom.
So if you have a home in the Estate, you can still get that sparkly new home living, only difference is you are doing it with style and panache and be keeping history alive.
It would seem the council is reasonable and will let you make substantial changes as long as it "works".
The best advice is start talking to the council early in the redesign process to ensure what you think is sensible is allowable, there is a document you can obtain from the City of Boroondara outlining how it all works.
Before buying our home at auction we trotted down to council to satisfy ourselves we would be able to do what we wanted and were pleased with the result.
Before buying our home at auction we trotted down to council to satisfy ourselves we would be able to do what we wanted and were pleased with the result.
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(Disclaimer: please verify any information on these pages - no guarantees are provided as to correctness for any information provided on this page or others on this site. Do not rely on any information provided as this website is done by a layman working from sketchy details)
