Premier Roger Cook has defended the state’s heritage protections, after a report emerged that Gina Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting plans to demolish a 120-year-old cottage in West Perth.
Premier Roger Cook has defended the state’s heritage protections, after a report emerged that Gina Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting plans to demolish a 120-year-old cottage in West Perth.
Nine Network masthead WA Today reported this morning that a recently tabled $250 million plan to build a new Hancock business hub in West Perth would lead to the demolition of the cottage first built in the 1910s, at 27 Outram Street.
The site has been owned by Mrs Rinehart since 2021, when it was purchased in a $3.85 million deal as part of a multi-million-dollar buy-up of five West Perth properties across a 20-month period.
Despite its age, the Federation-style property does not have heritage protections and does not sit on the state’s Heritage Register – leaving it open to demolition by its current owner. Business News understands the site has previously been assessed for its heritage potential but was not listed for protection.
Plans for the office hub include office and amenity areas with around 60 per cent of the development to be dedicated to landscaping and public open space.
Hancock’s development plans are before the WA Planning Commission, having been the state’s significant approvals pathway.
Questioned this morning over whether the building should be retained as part of the development, Premier Roger Cook said the state’s development prerogative was to balance new with old.
“We want to see community become vibrant and new, and to see development associated with that,” he said.
“We also want to protect our cultural heritage in an appropriate way.
“That’s why we have our Heritage Council and the local government authorities with the WAPC working together to get that balance right.”
Mr Cook said the state’s heritage laws were “not a binary proposition” and played down suggestions of a loophole in the system as it stands.
“There are a range of heritage statuses that a building or a feature might gain,” he said.
“That’s the reason why we have the Heritage Council, which oversees these things alongside our planning laws.”
A Hancock spokesperson said the property had undergone a number of alterations and was highlighted that it was not listed on the state's heritage register.
“This property is not heritage-listed," they told Business News.
“The property has had numerous alterations.
“A development application has been submitted to the WA Planning Commission via the State Development Assessment Unit.
“We refer to the statement published on our website.”
Having taken the move to bring elements of her business empire under one roof, Mrs Rinehart is not the only billionaire to buy up land in West Perth in recent years.
In 2023, the City of Perth took the unprecedented step of agreeing to sell a public laneway to an entity owned by Kerry Stokes for $675,000 less GST.
The sale of Altona laneway was subject to the area being maintained for public access, and would give ownership of a 177 square metre parcel of land, connecting the headquarters of Mr Stokes’ private investment vehicle Australian Capital Equity and BCI Minerals.
Business News understands a transaction for the parcel of land is yet to settle.
