“Enough is enough”: Carlton residents tired of Cancer Council eyesore 

Carlton residents are calling on the City of Melbourne and the state government to address the “deplorable” state of the former Cancer Council building, which has notoriously become one of the city’s greatest eyesores.

The building, located within the Carlton Gardens World Heritage Environs Area at 1-23 Rathdowne St, was bought by Chinese tycoon Wang Hua in 2013 and has been left unkempt since the owner acquired the site from the Cancer Council.

In 2022, developer Royal Garden Manor, of which Hua is the sole director, lodged plans for a 77-apartment and seven-townhouse development, which was ultimately opposed by the City of Melbourne.

However, since the rejection – and even after the council ordered a clean-up of the graffiti-riddled property in 2017 – the building has continued to deteriorate, becoming a canvas for local vandals and a home to countless squatters.

Following the recent appointment of the new council, the Carlton Residents’ Association (CRA) has renewed pressure on the City of Melbourne and the state government to address the decaying site, urging both levels of government to work with the developer to expedite its demolition and find a temporary use for the land.

“It is an eyesore and a health and safety issue for the local community,” CRA vice president Martin Brennan told Inner City News. “It also reflects badly on the reputation of our city.”

For the building to be demolished and a temporary use determined, a planning permit is required, which must be lodged by the developer.

However, Inner City News understands that, despite council officers encouraging the developer to submit a planning permit application, no application has been lodged to date.

Royal Garden Manor was contacted for comment but declined to respond.

The council does not have the power to compel or require the demolition of non-council-owned buildings. However, it has taken “significant action to improve the visual amenity of the building,” according to a City of Melbourne spokesperson.

These efforts include removing graffiti at street level and installing artistic vinyl boards on the hoarding around the property’s perimeter.

The boards have an anti-graffiti coating to make them easier to clean. However, graffiti located behind the hoarding on the building cannot be accessed by the council’s graffiti management team. •