Historic Mount Gambier Flour Mill Demolished for Hotel Development

The historic flour mill walls — constructed with pink dolomite and standing tall in the heart of Mount Gambier for 140 years — are now just a pile of crumbled stone following heavy machinery rolling onto the site.

Developers were given the green light by planning assessors to raze the facade of the 19th century Roller Flour Mill to make way for a multi-storey hotel complex, despite a grassroots backlash from the community.

Community members who had voiced their opposition to the demolition lodged an application for state heritage protections with the SA Heritage Council at the 11th hour.

While the walls were listed under local heritage, the application did not halt the demolition works.

Local resident David Terrazas, who had been vocal against the demolition and helped distribute a petition, said he felt "very sad" about the outcome.

"Several of us also tried to approach the state heritage bodies to see if we could try to get a stay of the demolition, but at the end it was all futile," Mr Terrazas said.

He said the demolition works attracted community interest with people taking photos of the site and walking around the demolition fence line.

"I think that there was a number of us who were actually quite appalled by what we felt was a lack of true community consultation for the decision that was made," Mr Terrazas said.

He called for greater consultation for any future demolition works of heritage buildings in the city.

The site where the walls stood has been unoccupied in recent years, with a hardware store most recently using the space.

Walls not structurally safe

Developers Mossop Construction publicly released its proposal for the site in 2024 that outlined plans to build an 82-room hotel, townhouses and a commercial precinct.

The plans were approved by the Limestone Coast Southern Regional Assessment Panel in February last year, but those plans included the retention of the wall.

Developers then lodged another application in December, stating that new assessments found the wall to be structurally unsafe and seriously degraded.

According to documents lodged on the PlanSA website, the architects who assessed the wall said retention was "theoretically possible but would require an extensive and complex program of temporary and permanent structural works".

In its March meeting, the Assessment Panel approved the demolition plans.

Hotel to boost visitor economy

Independent state member for Mount Gambier Travis Fatchen said it was disappointing the structure was demolished and had not been incorporated into the development plans.

"The building has been around for people's whole life, it is a bit strange to see it go," Mr Fatchen said.

But he said the community needed to now embrace what the development would bring to the city.

"It is nice to see something new in the centre of town … there will be some new businesses, townhouses that will be probably sold off — that may help us attract some young professionals," Mr Fatchen said.

He said the additional accommodation for the visitor economy was also a positive.

While the walls were listed under local heritage, Mount Gambier local Ockert Le Roux said ahead of the demolition that state protections could not prevent the wall from being torn down.

"We felt very strong that, in terms of our historical research, that [the wall] fitted the criteria for a state heritage listing," Mr Le Roux said.

Mr Le Roux said he had hoped the application would trigger automatic temporary protections, but these were not initiated.

A spokesperson for Minister Bourke said the structure was only identified for local heritage considerations.

"The mill wall has been identified in two regional heritage surveys and on both occasions was only recommended for local heritage designation," the spokesperson said.

South Australian Heritage Council chair Sandy Verschoor said state heritage applications were assessed on their significance to the whole state, rather than local communities.

"When you think about state heritage, think about [if] that this place or this area tells part of our state's history or our state's story," she said.

"I work very closely with the team at Heritage SA to make sure that we can put protections in if we believe we can do that or, if not … put [the application] through as an urgent priority so we can have a look at it in a timely manner."

Mossop Construction has not responded to repeated requests from the ABC for comment.