The Victorian Government and the City of Melbourne have filed contempt of court proceedings against the owners involved in the illegal demolition of the Corkman Irish Pub in Carlton.
Melbourne Lord Mayor Sally Capp said the owners have failed to comply with a Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) order requiring them to clear the site and make it available for public recreation.
“We have filed contempt of court proceedings to hold the owners of the Corkman site accountable. They continue to do the wrong thing and we won’t tolerate it,” the Lord Mayor said.
“We’re extremely disappointed the owners have failed to comply with the VCAT order and will take action on behalf of the community.
“We need to ensure the site is cleaned up and available for the public to enjoy.”
The Lord Mayor said the destruction of the Corkman Pub in Carlton had left a scar on our city.
“The owners of the Corkman site showed callous disregard for our city’s history by knocking down the heritage pub,” the Lord Mayor said.
City of Melbourne authorised officers recently undertook an environmental assessment at the Corkman site. Their access was authorised by the Minister for Planning.
Following more than six months of delays by the owners and their failure to complete this simple task as required by the VCAT order, Council now has sufficient justification to use legislated powers to undertake the work required by the Orders.
The contempt of court proceedings have been lodged against Stefce Kutlesovski, Raman Shaqiri and the company that owns the property, 160 Leicester Pty Ltd (of which Stefce Kutlesovski and Raman Shaqiri are both Directors).
The City of Melbourne will seek to recover the full legal costs from the owners in light of their failure to comply with the Orders.
