Frequently Asked Questions

Heritage consists of the places and objects that we have inherited from the past and want to pass on to future generations. It is part of our identity as a community: who we are and where we have come from i.e. it is 'the things we want to keep'.

Heritage suggests ‘keeping' aspects of the built and natural environment for future generations.

Heritage significance is embodied in the place itself and is defined in terms of the aesthetic, historic, cultural, scientific and social values for past, present and future generations.

A local heritage inventory (LHI) is a document prepared by a local government to identify and celebrate buildings and places within each local government area that are worthy of recognition for their local heritage significance. It is a requirement under the Heritage to Western Australia Act 1990 that all local governments prepare, maintain and review an inventory.

The LHI assists local governments to:

• Provide a cultural and historic record of the local area;
• Inform the local government’s heritage policy; and
• Provide information about local significant places that may require protection from demolition or modification.

All properties on a LHI are assigned a management category or A, B, C or D, with A having the most heritage significance and D having the least.

Places and heritage areas/precincts identified within a local government’s local heritage inventory will be assigned a management category of either A, B, C or D, depending on their level of significance.

The local government’s heritage list is made up of the properties within the categories A and B, as these are considered to be of the most significance to the local government. Properties on a heritage list are afforded certain protections under the Town Planning Scheme.

The main difference between a heritage inventory and a heritage list is that properties on a heritage list (adopted by the local government) are protected under the Town Planning Scheme, whereas properties on an inventory are not.

Properties on a heritage list are required to seek permission from the local government before making any modifications including demolition, additions or renovations. Properties on an inventory, although considered to be of some heritage significance, do not have any statutory protection and may be demolished or modified with the necessary approvals from the local government.

Please refer to the list of properties extracted from the full draft Local Heritage Inventory, which includes details of the heritage significance and management category for each property.

If you’d like further detail, you can also read the full draft Local Heritage Inventory and Heritage List, which contains an assessment of each property on the inventory.

If your property is included on the Local Heritage List it means that any redevelopment on the site will more than likely require prior approval from the City. Future development, will need to ensure that the existing aspects of your property that are considered to be of heritage value are preserved and enhanced.

If you would like to discuss what development is possible on your property please contact the City’s Planning department on 9474 0777.

Under the Planning and Development (Local Planning Schemes) Regulations 2015 the City can vary any requirement under the Scheme if it will help enhance or protect heritage on the site. For example, this may mean that you could develop a taller building than normally permitted if the heritage is protected or enhanced.

If you would like more information about what concessions are available for properties on the Local Heritage List, please contact the City’s Strategic Planning department on 9474 0777.

Yes, you can. If your property is proposed to be added to the inventory, proposed to have the management category changed, or proposed to be removed from the inventory, we encourage you to submit your feedback using the online feedback form (please include the property you are referring to).

The City would like your feedback on the draft Local Heritage Inventory and Heritage List, which can be submitted using the online feedback form, before 4pm, Friday 27 July 2018.

You can also submit your feedback by:

• email to feedback@southperth.wa.gov.au
• mail addressed to the Chief Executive Officer, City of South Perth, Cnr Sandgate St & South Tce, South Perth WA 6151

All feedback received will be reviewed and considered, and any necessary changes made, prior to the draft inventory and list being presented back to Council for final adoption.

Information about the current Heritage Inventory and heritage within the City of South Perth can be found on the City’s website.

Information relating to the preparation and assessment of a local heritage inventory and heritage list can be found on the State Heritage Office website.

If you have any other questions relating to the current review process, please contact the City’s Strategic Planning Department on 9474 0777, via email at enquiries@southperth.wa.gov.au or in person at the Civic Centre, located on the corner of Sandgate Street and South Terrace, South Perth.

Under the Heritage of Western Australia Act 1990, all local governments are required to maintain and update a local heritage inventory. The inventory is required to be fully reviewed every four years and also updated annually. The City is currently undertaking its four-yearly review. It is important to keep the LHI up to date with any changes to places on the Inventory including demolition, modifications and any new information that has been made available.

The State Heritage Office of Western Australia provides a set of Criteria for the Assessment of Local Heritage Places and Areas that should be used for assessing the heritage value of a place. These criteria adhere to well-established ‘best practice’ in the identification and assessment of heritage places in Western Australia and throughout Australia, both at the State and local levels. These criteria are:

• aesthetic value
• historic value
• research value
• social value
• rarity
• representativeness
• condition
• integrity
• authenticity.

It should be noted that when assessing the heritage value of a place, the City can only consider what is visible from the street and any other historic information that it has available.

Indigenous sites are protected under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972. However, if a place has multiple layers of history including local cultural heritage significance then it may be included on the City’s Local Heritage Inventory.

The City conducted preliminary consultation in late 2017 with stakeholders, including the local community. The feedback from this process was used to shape the reviewed and updated draft Local Heritage Inventory and Heritage List. The draft inventory and list have now been endorsed by Council for formal comment.