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                    Heritage and planning

                    Cropped image of red-brick building facade with row of arched windows, green tiles and door with modern diamond-paned window
                    Find out about heritage overlays, places and precincts, heritage grants, our Heritage Strategy and the online i-Heritage database.
                      

                    In this section

                    • Heritage Strategy

                      The City of Melbourne’s Heritage Strategy sets out a plan to protect the city’s heritage buildings, places and objects. It has been developed to ensure the city's rich combination of traditions, memories, places and objects are identified and protected.
                    • Heritage grants

                      Heritage plays an important role in making Melbourne a place people love to live, work and visit.
                    • Heritage guides

                      Do you own a heritage property in Melbourne? Read our new Heritage Owner’s Guide and Heritage Design Guide.
                    • i-Heritage database

                      i-Heritage is the City of Melbourne's online database of heritage places. It provides details on individual buildings and contains properties included in conservation studies.
                    • Heritage studies and reviews

                      As Melbourne continues to grow and change, recognising and protecting the social and architectural heritage that defines our streets and neighbourhoods is an essential part of our planning work.

                    Frequently asked questions

                    Heritage and planning

                    What is a heritage overlay?

                    Specific heritage planning controls apply to individual sites and areas with identified heritage significance. They are detailed in Melbourne Planning Scheme Clause 43.01 (PDF 54 KB).

                    All heritage places, whether they are individual properties or areas based precincts, are listed at the Schedule to Clause 43.01 Heritage Overlay and are given a reference number, for example 'HO21'. The planning scheme maps will show this number as a cross-reference between the maps and the schedule in the scheme.

                    What is a heritage place?

                    A heritage place is any place we consider appropriate to have statutory heritage protection under the Melbourne Planning Scheme.

                    If your property is affected by a heritage overlay, it will be listed in the schedule in the heritage overlay and identified on the planning scheme maps.

                    A heritage place could include an individual site, a precinct area covering many sites, buildings, structures, archaeological sites, trees, gardens, geological formations, fossils, habitat or other places of natural or cultural significance and its associated land.

                    A heritage place can't be moveable or portable objects, such as machinery within a factory or furniture within a house.

                    What is a heritage precinct?

                    Heritage precincts are areas which have been identified as having heritage significance. They are identified in the Melbourne Planning Scheme heritage overlay maps, and cover all buildings within the boundaries of the precinct.

                    The majority of the buildings within a precinct will be graded heritage buildings, although modern or new buildings may also be located within a heritage precinct. The requirements of the heritage overlay and associated planning permit triggers apply to all buildings within the precinct, whether they are identified in the City of Melbourne's heritage database, i-Heritage.

                    Do I need a permit to make changes to a heritage place?

                    If a property is identified on the planning scheme map as a heritage place, then you need a planning permit to:

                    • subdivide the land
                    • construct a building or construct or carry out works
                    • externally alter a building
                    • externally paint the building if the schedule specifies external paint controls apply
                    • erect and display a sign including an advertising sign
                    • install domestic services normal to a dwelling if the services are visible from a street (other than a lane) or public park
                    • install s solar energy facility attached to a building that primarily services the land on which it is situated if the services are visible from a street (other than a lane) or public park
                    • install a rainwater tank if the rainwater tank is visible from a street (other than a lane) or public park.

                    For more guidance please refer to the City of Melbourne’s Heritage Guides.

                    Are there any restrictions on building works within a Heritage Precinct?

                    The requirements of the heritage overlay and associated planning permit triggers apply to all buildings within the precinct, whether or not they are identified in the City of Melbourne's i-Heritage database.

                    The City of Melbourne has specific policy objectives, strategies and guidelines relating to heritage precincts and places at Clause 15.03 of the Melbourne Planning Scheme. This should be considered in conjunction with the Statements of Significance which outlines the elements and aspects of significance for heritage places and precincts.

                    Does the City of Melbourne have its own heritage database?

                    i-Heritage is the City of Melbourne's online heritage database.

                    We have commissioned heritage studies since the early 1980s and now have a collection of heritage information for more than 8000 places within the municipality. Places identified within our heritage studies may or may not be located within a heritage overlay.

                    What is the Victorian Heritage Register?

                    The Victorian Heritage Register is the Victorian Government's heritage register. This register includes Sites of State Significance. See Victorian Heritage Database for more information.

                    Heritage Council Victoria administers the Heritage Act 1995 and maintains the Victorian Heritage Register.

                    If a building is on the Victorian Heritage Register it will be covered by an individual Heritage Overlay and the Schedule to the Heritage Overlay will show that the building or site is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register.

                    Properties that are listed on the Victorian Heritage Register may be exempt from some planning permit requirements in the Melbourne Planning Scheme. It is recommended that you contact the Planning Team on 03 9658 9658 to determine if a planning permit is required.

                    Please contact Heritage Council Victoria to confirm whether a permit is required under the Heritage Act 1995.

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