'Win-win': Heritage protected observatory, house to become childcare centre

The centre would see the abandoned and heritage protected La Rocca house at 55 Condon Street, Kennington repaired and restored, as well as the East Bendigo Observatory, which was used for weather observations in the early 1900s and deemed significant to Bendigo's history.

Councillor Dave Fagg said the plan was a 'win-win' for the site's development and heritage conservation.

"I think this application is a success story because until council put an interim heritage overlay on the property in 2021, the residence and observatory had no heritage protection and it could easily have been demolished," he said.

The observatory once housed a 4.5-inch telescope under its retractable domed roof and reflected advances in Australian science and astronomy, according to a state government heritage report in 2023.

The application struck the right balance between developing the site for contemporary need while committing to preserve its heritage, Cr Fagg said.

The proposed childcare centre would accommodate 144 children and 21 staff and would operate between 6:30am and 6:30pm Monday to Friday

It would occupy three separate buildings with three outdoor play spaces and would be partially constructed over two levels, with car parking to be provided on a lower level.

Cr Jen Alden voted in favour of the permit, however voiced her concerns it ignored the significance of the "local landscape" and natural environment.

Forty-five of the site's 76 trees would be removed during construction, including some mature native trees which were "beneficial for biodiversity purposes".

"If we're happy to see such mature native trees removed in the absence of a significant tree register currently, then we would permit a massive amount of trees to be removed are merely native elsewhere in the municipality," Cr Alden said.

"I find it a real shame that a design could not accommodate more of the character they provide; the cooling for the neighborhood in a warming climate, plus additional scale of biolinks for birds and native animals.

"I don't necessarily agree that this plan is an appropriate response to the local landscape".

Cr Julie Sloan agreed with Cr Alden, and said it was "unfortunate we are unable to accommodate the needs of the local environment".

The permit was granted following a unanimous vote.