What is heritage?

Heritage means ‘our legacy from the past, what we live with today, and what we pass on to future generations’. (UNESCO) Heritage may be tangible or intangible, and includes: 

• Historic buildings and areas identified as being of heritage significance
• Landmarks and landscape features
• Archives and collections
• Cultural landscapes
• Spiritual or mythological places
• Oral history, language, traditions, skills, and stories. 

A heritage place is a geographically defined area identified as being of cultural heritage significance. A place may include archaeological remains, buildings, structures, objects, gardens, trees and views.

Why is heritage important?

The City recognises that its heritage is a valuable asset providing for a broad range of social, environmental and economic benefits. Once we know why things have cultural heritage significance, we can then manage them appropriately so they can be enjoyed and celebrated into the future. There are a number of benefits from knowing and conserving our heritage which include:

• Heritage places contribute to the quality of life and cultural identity of our communities.
• Archives and stories enrich our understanding of our local area and help give us a sense of belonging to a place.
• Heritage places can be the focal point for community gatherings.
• Utilising and conserving our heritage places can also assist local economies through employment opportunities and by generating additional revenue, particularly through social activities.
• Heritage places can excite curiosity about the past; they can be important sources of classroom learning, and community education;
• Heritage places can generate interest and become a drawcard for tourism; promoting and integrating heritage places as part of local and wider tourism campaigns can encourage return visits.
• Sensitive adaptations of heritage buildings for new purposes retains embodied energy thereby reducing demolition waste and carbon used in new construction.  This has economic and environmental benefits.

Please see the Heritage page on the City's website or get in touch with the City. 

The term 'like-for-like' is often used when describing works to a heritage place. Put simply it means that any repair is exactly the same as the previous/existing in all respects including material, colour, texture and detailing. The work will therefore not alter the value of the heritage place. Anything beyond minor repairs may require approval. It should also be noted that 'like-for-like' is not always the correct approach. Sometimes, the fabric is original and should be retained and conserved, particularly if the heritage place is individually listed. 

Regular maintenance is the most cost-efficient way to look after a heritage place and will help to prevent costly repairs in the long run. The importance of cleaning gutters, fixing roof material and repainting cannot be overstated. Basic maintenance and minor like-for-like repair repairs do not require approval.

• Any external works that are not like-for-like minor repair will require approval.
• Internal works on heritage places that are not individually listed (City of Bunbury Heritage List) but are in a heritage area, will not require approval.
• Internal works on a heritage place that is individually listed (City of Bunbury Heritage List), may require approval if they are impacting significant features.
• Demolitions in a heritage area require approval. Demolitions do not currently require planning approval if they are not in a heritage area or are not included on the City of Bunbury Heritage List.

The objective of a heritage area is to protect significant elements of an area that contribute to the streetscape and to sensitively accommodate change – not prevent it. Buildings that do not contribute to the significance of the area can be demolished, on approval, and new development should reinforce the significance of the area. Works that are not considered maintenance/repair will require a development application, but the development application fees are waived. The City’s free heritage advisory service is also available to owners in a heritage area.

The City of Bunbury currently has one identified Heritage Area located in East Bunbury. The East Bunbury Heritage Area (also known as the Stirling Street Heritage Area) is considered to have a distinctive character of heritage significance which is desirable to conserve. It is designated under the City’s Town Planning Scheme.

The Heritage Act 2018 requires the preparation and review of a Local Heritage Survey (LHS) (previously referred to as the Municipal Inventory or Local Government Inventory). The City’s 2001 LHS was reviewed in 2012 but no new places were assessed. The Local Planning Strategy commits to a comprehensive review of the LHS and this was budgeted for accordingly. A targeted approach was workshopped with the Heritage Advisory Committee. One of the priority locations raised to be assessed was that known as the “Tree Streets”. A detailed assessment of the Tree Streets has been completed to assess whether the area warrants a heritage area.

A heritage area should have an overall theme or connecting heritage value that demonstrates a strong unifying character. It should always be established on the basis of a clear statement of significance, which explains what is significant about an area and why, and describe its key features and elements.

The individual components of a heritage area will collectively form a streetscape, townscape or cultural environment with significant heritage characteristics, which may include architectural style, town planning or urban design excellence, landscape qualities, or strong historic associations. In some cases, the development of a heritage area may span an extended period and include a variety of building types. In such cases it may be worthwhile to analyse the different phases of growth as part of the assessment, while also demonstrating the ‘unifying thread’ that holds the area together as a meaningful whole.

The assessment of a heritage area requires a slightly different approach to a general assessment of heritage places. A heritage area will be of significance for the local district if it meets one or more of the criteria of Aesthetic, Historic, Scientific, Social or Spiritual significance. However, it will also need to satisfy the following additional criteria:

• it demonstrates a unified or cohesive physical form in the public realm with an identifiable aesthetic, historic or social theme associated with a particular period or periods of development.

The outer boundaries of a heritage area commonly follow road alignment or other readily defined limits. If defined as part of an urban block, using the lot boundaries of contributing properties would generally be appropriate. A heritage area should include all properties within a regular boundary, whether or not they are identified as contributing to the area. When considering what elements to include, it is important to consider where the special planning controls need to be applied in order to conserve the heritage significance of the area. In some cases, this will mean including non-heritage places that are on the edge of the area, but where additional planning controls would assist in reducing intrusive elements or other adverse impacts on heritage values

If your property is located within a heritage area, you may require a development approval for works that are not considered repairs or maintenance with like-for-like materials. The City provides a free heritage advisory service in which you are encouraged to contact to discuss any future works. Conservation works to properties within a heritage area may be eligible for a rate concession.

The process for formally designating an area as a heritage area is outlined at Schedule 2, Part 3, Clause 9 of the Regulations. The process can be summarised follows:

Local planning policies are the adopted position of the Council on various planning matters which either expand on the requirements in the Local Planning Scheme or provide direction on those matters where the scheme enables the Council to exercise discretion. The Polices are used to assess applications for subdivision and/or development.

For example, the City currently have Local Planning Policy 6.1 Local Planning Policy for Heritage Conservation and Development for the East Bunbury Heritage Area and Local Planning Policy 6.2 Local Planning Policy for Heritage Listing, Assessment and Consession For the full list of the City's Local Planning Policies please visit this link.