Heritage Council FAQs
Below are some commonly asked questions and answers.
What is the State Register of Heritage Places?
How do I know if my property is listed?
The State Register of Heritage Places is a list of places given legal protection under the Heritage of Western Australia Act 1990 . Registration of a place is official recognition by the broader community of its cultural significance to the heritage of Western Australia.
How do I know if my property is listed?
The Heritage Council maintains a database of places included in the Register of Heritage Places, Local Government Municipal Inventories, Register of the National Estate and National Trust's List of Classified Places.Click here to search the Places Database.
Alternatively, call the Heritage Council on 9221 4177.
What is a precinct?
A heritage precinct is an area where the relationship between a number of buildings and spaces, such as streets, creates a special sense of place and has cultural heritage significance worth recognising and conserving.
Does heritage listing impact on property values?
A number of studies around Australia and worldwide suggest general positive effects on property values due to heritage registration. Retention of a place's identified heritage characteristics, especially where they are quite unique, can actually enhance property values associated with heritage places.
Will I have difficulty insuring my heritage listed property?
Property owners, regardless of heritage status, will experience difficulty insuring places that are not properly maintained, present a fire risk or for a number of other reasons. Normal insurance cover should be sufficient as the following principles would generally apply:
- In the case of virtually complete destruction, reconstruction of the building would neither be required or necessarily favoured.
- In the case of major structural damage, replacement in compatible materials would be preferable to attempting to replicate old elements.
In the case of non-structural damage, replacement with modern materials to period designs would be preferred, if feasible and economical.
What can I/can't I do to my heritage place?
Generally, changes to heritage places should not diminish, destroy or conceal significant elements of the place. Some basic principles to consider when developing heritage places are:
- Is the new work easily distinguishable from the old? New work is generally permissible if the original fabric is easily identifiable and complements the building's original scale, form and massing. New work that mimics the original should be avoided.
- Are the alterations reversible? Changes that can be removed or reinstated are generally considered acceptable.
- Am I respecting all significant periods of construction of the place? Often places have been changed over time and certain sections of a place will vary in construction depending on when they were built. These changes are part of the historical development of the place and may contribute to its overall significance.
See the Guide to Developing Heritage Places for more information.
What is a Local Government Municipal Inventory?
A Municipal Inventory is a list of places and structures which, in the opinion of the local government, are, or may become, of cultural heritage significance. Local governments are required under section 45 of the Heritage of Western Australia Act 1990 to prepare a Municipal Inventory to recognise the heritage importance of places to the local community.
Local government heritage inventories can assist local governments to:
- Provide a cultural and historic record of the local district.
- Determine local government conservation policies.
- Provide information about local heritage that may be required under a town planning scheme for that district.
Do Municipal Inventories offer legal protection?
Places entered in a Municipal Inventory do not have legal protection, unless they are listed in a separate Heritage List which is linked to the local Town Planning Scheme, or are already entered in the State Register of Heritage Places. Heritage Lists must be compiled with regard to the local government's Municipal Inventory, but do not necessarily include all places in a Municipal Inventory.