Stonnington's heritage rule, in plain English
Stonnington's heritage guidance lists installing services, including heating and cooling systems, among works that need a planning permit in a Heritage Overlay. Its reasoning is simple: heritage places weren't designed with this equipment in mind.
What it asks for is that air conditioners and similar gear are concealed behind the front of the building and positioned so they aren't visible from the street. That usually points to the side passage or the back wall, with the pipes run neatly to match.
What Malvern's homes are like
Fine houses from the 1880s
Victorian Places says Malvern had become a place for fine residences on generous allotments by the 1880s, then urbanised quickly from about 1900, with trams arriving between about 1910 and 1915. The town hall (1886) and the Stonnington mansion (1890) are heritage listed.
A lot of flats
At the 2021 Census, 30.8% of Malvern's homes were flats or apartments, 19.4% semi-detached or townhouses and 45.8% separate houses. 9.0% had one bedroom and 31.4% had two, so in many homes one split covers the living area.
Long-held homes and renters
41.9% of Malvern homes were owned outright in 2021 and 26.7% were rented.
How a Malvern job usually runs
Check the overlay
Find out from Stonnington whether your property is in a Heritage Overlay before anyone quotes.
Pick the system
A big house often suits ducted reverse cycle, where only the vents show inside. A flat or a single room suits a split system.
Find a hidden spot
Ask the installer to show you where the outdoor unit can sit out of sight of the street, with room for air and servicing.
Get the approvals
Apply for the planning permit if council says you need one. In a flat, get the owners corporation's sign-off too.
Install and paperwork
At the end you should get a Certificate of Electrical Safety and a plumbing compliance certificate.
What we'd do
If it were our Malvern home
We'd ask council first, before falling for a particular system. Once you know the overlay and a hidden spot for the outdoor unit, the system choice is easy. In a flat, we'd start with one efficient split in the living room and stop there unless the bedrooms really need it.
How your job reaches an installer
You give us the job and your postcode. Licence-checked installers around Malvern who handle that work can see it, and only the one who takes it gets your contact details. If none near Malvern takes it within 48 hours, installers in other parts of Victoria may see it too.
