THE owners of a heritage property have slammed Bathurst Regional Council for not notifying them of a development application proposing to build a shed 30 metres away from a heritage-listed garden.
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The DA was lodged in early February and sought to build a 22mx9m shed, with a maximum ridge height of 4.99 metres, on a rural property that is located next to a significant heritage property.
'Rainham', circa 1830, is on Vale Road at Orton Park and was built by Thomas Raine, a mariner and merchant, whose son later founded Raine and Horne real estate.
The property has been lived in by Richard and Suzy Miller for more than a year.
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At last week's ordinary meeting of council, Mrs Miller informed the chamber that she and her husband had only found out the day before at the Perthville village meeting that the DA for the farm shed had been approved.
And the only reason the couple knew about the DA at all was, not because they had been notified, but because they saw building materials being delivered to the neighbouring property in April.
The Western Advocate understands that the DA was approved in early March.
At the council meeting last week, Mrs Miller said the process of considering and determining DAs was not working.
"Council's balance between heritage and agricultural development is flawed," she said.
"This is a perfect example of council employees making decisions and approving a DA which has not taken into account the balance required when DAs are approved."
Further to this, Mrs Miller claimed that council was seemingly "not even aware that Rainham was of any historical significance at all" when it approved the DA.
Her husband, in his later address, added that the property was referenced in two books about the area, one of which council jointly funded with the author.
Mrs Miller said that, if council was serious about protecting and encouraging history and heritage, then it needed to do better.
"Is this what the present council wishes to leave as their legacy in the history of its area - a 22mx9m ColorBond shed running five metres from a heritage road and destroying the rural views from the 1830 homestead and its heritage gardens?" she asked.
Heritage advocate Sandy Bathgate also spoke at the meeting and pointed out that similar circumstances led to the Manning case in 2013.
He said the situation, stemming from failure to notify of a DA, ended up costing ratepayers $1 million.
The Western Advocate has contacted council for comment on the circumstances surrounding the approval of the DA and is awaiting reply.