Throughout 2025 the Kensington Residents’ Association endeavoured to prevent the demolition of the local heritage-listed building at 69 High Street, which was the first Kensington Elementary School, dating back to the 1840s. The Council Assessment Panel (CAP) rejected the demolition application, but on appeal to the Environment, Resources and Development Court, the owners of the building were granted approval to demolish.
The KRA and concerned individuals made submissions at the first hearing, appealing to the CAP to refuse the demolition application. The decision was delayed to allow the owners time to seek additional engineering advice.
Significant research was undertaken by KRA members and local history experts, uncovering the rich history of the modest building at 69 High Street. Fearing local heritage status would be insufficient to protect the building from demolition, the KRA prepared a State Heritage Listing application for 69 High Street. The many reasons why this building is worthy of inclusion on the State Heritage Register are documented in the application, which can be downloaded by clicking here.
When the CAP met to reassess the owners’ application to demolish the building, no additional information was presented by the owners, rather a lawyer and engineer were engaged to argue the demolition case. The KRA was excluded from making further comments and presenting the results of thorough historic research for the CAP to consider. Nonetheless, to the delight of the KRA the CAP refused to permit demolition of 69 High Street.
However, late in 2025 the owner appealed to the Environment, Resources and Development Court to review the CAP decision. The KRA was excluded from participating in the appeal process which was held “in confidence”. On 18th December the owners of 69 High Street were granted approval to demolish the unique, historic building on their property.
The KRA is bitterly disappointed in the decision facilitated by the ERD Court. Apart from encouraging the owner to sell the local heritage-listed property to a renovator who respects heritage value, there appears to be nothing more that we can do to save this building. Another link to the colonial history of Kensington and South Australia will be lost.
Better protection for local heritage places – such as 69 High Street – under the Planning and Design Code has been under consideration by the State Government for the almost three years:
March 2023: Expert Panel for the Planning System final report and recommendations released. Recommendation 15 under ‘Minor and Operational Recommendations” is to refine Performance Outcome 6.1 in the Local Heritage Place Overlay to exclude deterioration due to neglect as a supporting factor for demolition, as in the State Heritage place Overlay (p. 225)
March 2024: Government response to the Expert Panel recommendations released. In reference to Reform 15, “The Government supports this recommendation” (p. 54)
June 2025: Expert Panel Implementation Program quarterly report. In reference to Reform 15, “Proposed through Assessment Improvements Code Amendment. Determination pack under review” (p. 19). (No further quarterly reports are available online.)
Friday 19 December 2025: The “Assessment Improvements Code Amendment” is finalised and adopted by the Minister for Planning. “It will come into effect once it is consolidated into the online Planning and Design Code, which is anticipated to occur on 15 January 2026”. Download the article here.
The changes approved on 19th December will give the Council Assessment Panel (CAP) the ability to consider the actions that are within the control the owner of a local heritage property, such as maintaining the condition of the building to prevent it falling into a state of irredeemable disrepair.
Perhaps 69 High Street Kensington will be the last local heritage building to be demolished unnecessarily. We can only hope.
The KRA will continue its efforts to have cultural heritage significance specifically mentioned in legislation and to change the present inequity of an owner who can make 3 representations for demolition while heritage advocates only have one opportunity to oppose.
Thank you to everyone who supports the KRA efforts to oppose destruction of the heritage buildings which add so much character and value to our wonderful Kensington Village.