The Heritage OverlayOpens in new tab is a planning tool used in the Melbourne Planning Scheme to protect places of heritage significance to the city. It can be applied to individual places or to a defined area known as a heritage precinct. If you have a Heritage Overlay on your property you are likely to need to apply to Council for a planning permit for certain types of building and works. This is so that we can work with you to ensure that the proposed development does not detract from the heritage significance of your property and the area around it if you are in a precinct.
(See Building and development).
Applying a Heritage Overlay
Before a Heritage Overlay is considered Council conducts a heritage study of an area or individual place using qualified heritage consultants.
The study documents the history of the area and its transformation and development over time. It assesses and documents places and buildings of heritage significance according to criteria set in Planning Practice Note 1: Applying the Heritage Overlay (DOC 80 KB) around historic, social, scientific, aesthetic and spiritual values. The assessment is a combination of physical research, historic research and community consultation. If a place meets the requirements of one or more of the criteria it is recommended for inclusion in the Heritage Overlay.
Council then prepares a planning scheme amendment to apply the Heritage Overlay to the places recommended for heritage protection. At this stage there are opportunities for owners and the wider community to support or object to the proposed heritage control.
You can view completed heritage studies and current heritage studies here.
