Tuesday, 9 December 2025

 Tim READ (Brunswick) (12:26): I was pleased to hear from the Minister for Planning’s office, shortly after my colleague Mr Puglielli raised the matter in the Public Accounts and Estimates Committee, that Heritage Victoria are commissioning a report on how to fix the deteriorating historic chimney at the Hoffman Brickworks site in Brunswick. They will send the bill to the owner, a joint property development venture between Ninety Four Feet and Glenvill Homes, who were ordered to have this done in April but have still done nothing. In fact Ninety Four Feet have consistently failed to protect this heritage site over the years and seem to prefer to pay lawyers rather than bricklayers. Residents stuck next to the scaffolding-clad chimney have been wanting to see it repaired for four years, since the scaffolding went up.

Some residents are in an even worse trap set by Ninety Four Feet, which lumped them with the responsibility for public liability insurance, while Ninety Four Feet retain ownership of the chimney and pay next to nothing. While Ninety Four Feet twiddle their thumbs with the scaffolding, residents are stuck paying more than double in insurance premiums. It is hard to imagine a shonkier outfit than the Rzechta family’s Ninety Four Feet. I urge the Labor government and Heritage Victoria to go further, get the chimney fixed and make the developer pay for that as well, because they seem quite happy doing nothing.