Darebin's rule for heritage precincts
Gladstone Avenue, Northcote (HO298) is one of the residential heritage precincts in Darebin's heritage permit exemptions plan. In those precincts, the plan says domestic services normal to a dwelling don't need a permit even if they can be seen from the street, provided they aren't fixed to the front wall or placed between it and the front boundary, don't rise above the highest point of the roof, and aren't on a roof face that looks onto a street.
On a Significant or Contributory house, services on a side wall or a side-facing roof have to sit at least 4 metres behind the house's minimum front setback. Check with Darebin that your outdoor unit counts, and whether your property is in a listed precinct or individually listed, before the installer drills.
Northcote's homes
Brick, not timber
Victorian Places says Northcote's cottages and row houses were built of brick, thanks to the local brickworks, and that many houses are double-fronted, or weatherboard California bungalows.
Small and shared-wall
At the 2021 Census, 27.4% of homes were semi-detached, row houses or townhouses and 22.8% flats or apartments. 13.5% had one bedroom and 32.6% two.
A lot of renters
37.5% of Northcote homes were rented in 2021, so Victoria's 2027 rental heating and cooling standards will reach many of them.
What usually suits a Northcote home
A reverse cycle split in the main living room handles both heating and cooling in a small house or flat. A double-fronted house with several closed-off rooms may suit a multi-split, with one outdoor unit serving a few indoor units.
On a shared wall, think about the neighbours. EPA Victoria says a unit on heat mustn't be heard inside a neighbour's habitable room after 10pm on weeknights, or after 11pm when cooling.
What we'd do
If it were our Northcote home
We'd pick the outdoor unit's spot first, down the side passage or at the back, well behind the front of the house, and only then choose the system. One good split in the living room is often all a small Northcote home needs. If you rent the place out, plan it to meet the 2027 standards from the start.
Sending a Northcote job
Send the job and your postcode. Licence-checked installers near Northcote who take on that sort of work can see it, and only the one who takes it gets your number. No taker near Northcote within 48 hours? Then installers elsewhere in Victoria may see it too.
