Municipal Heritage Inventory

What is Cultural Heritage Significance?

Cultural Heritage Significance is the aesthetic, historic, scientific or social significance a place may have for present and future generations. Cultural heritage extends beyond buildings and can include landscapes, artefacts and cultural institutes. The City of Melville has broadened the scope of listings to recognise landscape features and parks as well as historic or significant buildings or structures.

Heritage of Western Australia Act 1990 and Local Government

Local Councils are required under Section 45 of the Heritage of Western Australia Act 1990 to prepare a list of places of heritage significance to the local community and update that list every 4 years.

A local government must ensure that the inventory is compiled with proper public consultation.

The Act requires that copy of the inventory when compiled shall be forwarded to the Heritage Council for information and be available in the Heritage Council libruary. The Heritage Council does not assess the inventory.

Entry into a Municipal Inventory

Entry of a building or place onto a Municipal Heritage Inventory does not have any statutory implications (i.e. a Municipal Inventory is not a statutory document and therefore is not a protection mechanism for any property on the list). In this regard, it carries no additional implications for owners apart from the regulatory planning scheme provisions, which apply to all properties in the district. An inventory makes management recommendations only.

There are no limitations on the development of a property as a result of listing in the inventory. The local government has no additional rights on the place and the place remains the sole property of the owner.

Town Planning Scheme relationship with Municipal Inventories

As a separate and independent exercise, properties listed in the Municipal Heritage Inventory may be included in the Town Planning Scheme.

Owner notification and consent is sought for inclusion in the Town Planning Scheme.

Town Planning Scheme provisions will apply to those sites listed and in so doing, certain additional requirements (i.e. heritage assessment) may be required as part of an application for development consent.

Municipal Heritage Inventory and State Register of Heritage Places

Listing of a property or place in the local government Municipal Heritage Inventory recognises the importance of a place to the local district. Properties registered on the State register are recognised as important to the whole of the State of Western Australia. The Heritage Council of WA is responsible for the compilation of, and amendment to the State Register of Heritage Places. A local government or any member of the community can nominate that a place be considered for listing on the State Register. Similarly, any member of the community or state government agency (i.e. Heritage Council) can nominate a place for listing on the local Municipal Heritage Inventory.

Sites listed on the local Municipal Heritage Inventory do not pre-empt a listing on the State Register. The Heritage Council will independently determine the suitability or not of a place, and whether it has merit for inclusion on the State Register. The process is conducted independently of the compilation of the local Municipal Heritage Inventory and directly by the Heritage Council of WA.

Consent to List a Place in the Municipal Heritage Inventory

The City of Melville has adopted an open and transparent approach to the compilation of the Municipal Inventory review underway. In the consideration of a possible site for listing, the Council has corresponded with owners of land or building to obtain their consent to list the place in the municipal heritage inventory.

There are many stages in consultation. Initially, property owners are individually consulted and when the final list is compiled, the community is consulted and finally Councillors will determine any issues raised from consultation.

Who Can Nominate a Place for Listing and what is the Process?

Any member of the community can nominate a place for inclusion on the Municipal Heritage Inventory. These nominations are researched and placed on a draft list of sites for consideration in a subsequent review.

At the time of a future review, the proposed list will be referred to the City’s Executive Management Team for consideration and forwarded to Councillors for information. Should a place be considered worthy of listing, the City of Melville will contact the owner of the place nominated seeking their consent to list in the Inventory.

A Municipal Heritage Inventory is compiled as a document and made available for public perusal at the Council Office or libraries. Copy of the Inventory is forwarded to the Heritage Council of WA for information.