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Australians Are Not Happy A Melbourne Pub Was Demolished, And Their Reactions Are Gold

Don't get in between Melbournians and their beer and heritage listed pubs.
Fairfax: James Bowering

The Victorian Government and Melbourne City Council are furious after a heritage listed pub was demolished by developers on Saturday, and Australians aren't holding back either.

The Corkman Irish Pub in Melbourne -- previously known as the Carlton Inn -- was built in 1857, but last week it was partially burnt down by a fire. On the weekend, residents called Melbourne City Council complaining about demolition noise.

By the time council inspectors arrived, the majority of the building was gone and a stop-work order didn't stop the building being completely demolished.

Victoria's planning minister Richard Wynee told 3AW Radio the incident "is a complete outrage."

"The hotel was 159 years old and two cowboys come along, ignore all of the demolition and planning permit rules -- of which they've got none -- and knock the place over."

Fairfax report the developers are Stefce Kutlesovski and Raman Shaqiri, a duo building a number of apartment buildings throughout the city.

The Corkman Irish Pub on Monday.
Fairfax: Simon Schluter
The Corkman Irish Pub on Monday.

Heritage experts are demanding tougher penalties for developers, with Bill Kusznirczuk, the acting chair of the Victorian Planning Authority, saying the "cowboy developers" should be deregistered.

But this is just the first of many suggestions from Aussies disappointed their local watering hole is now no longer.

On Reddit, some of the suggestions include banning any development and turning the space into a skate park, or a playground while others are calling to boycott the developers' other pubs.

"A playground, a park and a plaque that says 'this park is a permanent reminder to developers that you sometimes have to listen," one Reddit user wrote.

Two Melbourne University law school students have launched a petition demanding the owners rebuild the pub, which has garnered more than 13,000 signatures since Monday.

Proof you don't mess with the people and their pints (or pots).

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