Benaud’s former childhood home to be razed

SYDNEY - New South Wales authorities have decided to raze the former childhood home of cricket legend Richie Benaud after four days of discussion on whether it should or should not be treated as a heritage site.

NSW Planning Minister Tony Kelly has rejected Parramatta City Council plea for an interim heritage order to protect the house from bulldozers, citing cultural significance, the Daily Telegraph reports.

“The minister has announced he won’t be putting the interim heritage order on the house, they already have the paperwork for demolition,” Lord Mayor Paul Garrard was quoted, as saying.

“The wider community will be devastated, Richie Benaud made a great contribution to cricket. There is a case here for cool heads to think about it. This decision very much supports the developers,” he added.

It has been reported that town houses will be built on the site.

Deputy Lord Mayor Chiang Lim had earlier this week said there was no way the council could legally reject the new proposal on the grounds that it was a site of “cultural significance”.

The Benauds had sold the home in 2003. (ANI)