Newport, Sydney: Ocean Street classic beach home to be demolished for apartment block

Residents are heartbroken after hearing plans to demolish one of Sydney’s few remaining beach houses to make way for a luxury apartment building where each unit will cost millions.

The property on Ocean Avenue, just a few blocks from Newport Beach on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, is one of three neighboring homes to be demolished by luxury apartment developer IPM.

Dubbed “Oceans,” the apartment complex will have nine units with three bedrooms, two bathrooms and two parking garages, costing at least $3.4 million each.

The classic Sydney beach house, often made of weatherboard and fibro (fiber cement board), would have a large front garden, a wide verandah and a flat or skillion roof.

The house’s design represents an era of Australian architecture that was popular from post-World War II to the 1970s, and for many it simply evokes memories of coastal holidays and the easygoing coastal lifestyle.

While the houses once lined Australia’s east coast, the value of land near the water has seen them replaced by blocks of flats or subdivided into smaller houses or townhouses.

A resident who has lived in Newport for 34 years, Toni, was upset by the demolition plans for not only the beach house on Ocean Avenue, but many others in the area.

‘I’ve always loved it [the soon-to-be demolished house]. It’s quite original, from the light on the porch to the wood, the amazing trees in the backyard, the coziness, the atmosphere and the tranquility of the property,” she told Daily Mail Australia.

‘We love the bush and the history of the Northern Beaches but unfortunately it is being erased by development.

“We had some great mid-century and older beach houses in Newport, Palm Beach, and Avalon all the way to Manly.

‘They match the beach lifestyle, the vaulted homes of soft tones, wood and wide verandas and patios.

“Now we’re surrounded by uninteresting bunker-style homes.”

Reminiscent of what the beachside suburb used to be, Toni said the classic beach houses were the foundation of memories of the area.

“It’s Newport, the beach houses, towels over the fence, kids running in the front yard with neighbors.

Poetry is written about that. It felt good.’

The beach house was purchased along with two neighboring properties, all of which will be demolished, and is boarded up and unkempt awaiting its fate

She claimed the area was developed by outsiders who did not respect its heritage.

“I feel people flock to the Northern Beaches for the feel of the area, the beaches, the bushland and the trees, but don’t appreciate it when it comes to their slice of paradise,” Toni said.

“They want to demolish it, rebuild it or develop it. Remove what they first liked about the area.

“We really think more should be done to preserve older style homes on the Northern Beaches because when it’s gone, it’s gone.”

The Northern Beaches Council, which occupies Newport, has listed a series of beach houses in Currawong on their heritage list. The houses have been kept in good condition since they were built in the 1950s.

A photo of the Ocean Avenue house was posted to a Facebook group by Toni with the caption, “The last of the original beach houses to be demolished.”

The photo shows the house unkempt in the year since it was sold, with boarded up windows and overgrown grass in the front yard.

“I am sad every day when I drive past this house,” the resident wrote.

Countless others expressed their displeasure with the plan under the post.

‘So pathetic, beautiful old beach house with character!’ a user wrote.

“So damn sad,” a second user wrote.

‘[I] lived in an original beach hut and so many have been demolished, including the one I lived in. There are almost none left.’

“Should have been purchased as a community center and listed as a heritage site,” a third wrote.

“Council remains committed to heritage management and protection and our dedicated heritage team continues to conduct thorough assessments and heritage studies,” Louise Kerr, interim CEO of the Northern Beaches Council, told Daily Mail Australia.

‘Any built or natural item on the Council’s heritage list is protected. The municipality is required to follow state planning laws when reviewing development applications.

‘If a building is not listed as a monument, it cannot be protected against demolition.’

Photos of the house were posted to the local Facebook group (pictured), sparking the dismay of others who were upset that part of the area’s history was being demolished

The proposed complex, dubbed “Oceans” (pictured), is expected to include nine three-bedroom, two-bathroom apartments, which will cost a minimum of $3.4 million.

A delayed start approval was approved by the Council on 8 September 2022 after 21 issues were raised with the building plans.

These include building height, privacy, engineering, landscape, and waste.

All but one of the issues raised, easement for storm water drainage, have been addressed by IPM with amended building plans and additional information.

Construction can begin once all points raised by the council have been amended.

The proposed apartment complex will be the latest addition to IPM’s portfolio of luxury homes.

“IPM’s vision is simple: to create high-quality, design-oriented apartments in prime locations,” the website reads.

‘The result is special homes that stand the test of time.’

The company has paid particular attention to Sydney’s Northern Beaches, with projects in nearby Mosman, Manly and Mona Vale.