FAQs

Heritage consists of the places and objects that we have inherited from the past and want to pass on to future generations. It defines us as a community: who we are and where we have come from. In other words, it is the things we want to keep. These things can include landmarks, buildings and contents, spaces, views, objects and the stories associated with them.

Heritage is important in understanding the story of our community – its history, identity and its people. It reflects our values and promotes a sense of identity and pride. Protecting and promoting heritage can also provide environmental, social and economic benefits for the community.

Local government, property owners and members of the community all have a role to play in ensuring that the valuable asset of our heritage is recognised, protected, respected and promoted.

Local governments play an important role in managing local heritage. This includes: 

• identifying heritage places in its Local Heritage Survey
• increasing awareness and appreciation of the area’s local history and heritage
• protecting heritage places considered worthy of built heritage conservation through statutory mechanisms
• ensuring that the conservation and enhancement of heritage places is considered in the assessment of development applications
• facilitating and encouraging the conservation and enhancement of heritage places by implementing heritage incentive programs and assistance measures. 

The City’s website contains a range of information relating to heritage.

The LHS is an information resource that identifies places in the local district that are or may become of cultural heritage significance. The LHS provides the City with a cultural and historical record of the area and tells the story of the development of the district.

Please note: it is not an instrument for development control so there are no statutory implications for property owners. Owners are still free to develop their properties in accordance with the local planning framework.

The Heritage Act 2018 (the Act) requires local governments to prepare a LHS and defines the purpose of an LHS as:

i.          Identifying and recording places that are, or may become, of cultural heritage significance in its district; and 

ii.         Assisting the local government in making and implementing decisions that are in harmony with cultural heritage values; and 

iii.        Providing a cultural and historical record of its district; and 

iv.        Providing an accessible public record of places of cultural heritage significance to its district; and 

v.         Assisting the local government in preparing a heritage list or list of heritage areas under a local planning scheme.

Places assessed as having cultural heritage significance are included on the LHS. The Act defines the term place as “a defined or readily identifiable area of land and may include any of the following things in, on or over the land –

1. Archaeological remains;
2. Buildings, structures, other built forms, and their surrounds;
3. Equipment, furniture, fittings and other objects that are historically or physically associated with the land;
4. Gardens and man-made parks or sites;
5. A tree or group of trees (whether planted or naturally occurring) in or adjacent to a man-made setting.”

The Heritage Act 2018 requires local governments to prepare and regularly review the LHS. The last time the City reviewed the LHS was in 2002. 

In addition to meeting its statutory obligations under the Act the review will ensure that the City: 

• Achieves the Built Environment Vision and objectives in the Strategic Community Plan
• Achieves Actions K3 and K4 of the Heritage Strategy
• Has an accurate and comprehensive record of the cultural heritage values of places in the precinct
• Has an updated LHS for the precinct that reflects the views of the Council and its community in regard to heritage
• Has an LHS that meets current standards and best practice as contained in Local Planning Policy 3.2 – Assessment of cultural heritage significance (LPP3.2)  and the Guidelines for Local Heritage Surveys prepared under section 105 of the Act.

The Guidelines for Local Heritage Surveys published under section 105 of the Act allows for minor and/or area specific reviews of the LHS. Council has chosen a precinct by precinct approach to review the LHS. Shenton Park is the fourth precinct to be reviewed.

To date the LHS for the Triangle Precinct (2020), West Subiaco Precinct (2021/2022) and Daglish Precinct (2023/2024) have been reviewed. The City is now reviewing the LHS for the Shenton Park Precinct.

Cultural heritage significance is assessed on the aesthetic, historic, social and scientific values of a place. The Heritage Council of WA has developed criteria to assess the heritage significance of places at a local level. These criteria adhere to well-established best practice in the identification and assessment of heritage places and areas and are used by the City to assess places and areas of local heritage significance.

The City's Local Planning Policy 3.2 - Assessment of Cultural Heritage Significance outlines the criteria used for assessing heritage significance. 

The City will commission a suitably qualified and experienced heritage professional to undertake the assessment of places.

The final determination on the content of the LHS lies with Council. All relevant information and submissions will be presented to Council for consideration.

The LHS is a record of places of cultural heritage significance and tells the important story of the development of the district. It is not an instrument for development control so there are no binding statutory implications for owners who are free to develop their properties in accordance with the local planning framework provisions that apply to all properties in the City.

 As outlined in Table 1 below the Heritage List and designated Heritage Areas are different from the LHS as they form part of the Local Planning Scheme. Properties included on the Heritage List are properties of a level of cultural heritage significance that Council considers worthy of some protection. Heritage Areas designated under the Local Planning Scheme are areas which Council considers require special planning controls to conserve and enhance their cultural heritage significance and character.

 Table 1 – Difference between the LHS, Heritage List and Heritage Areas designated under the Local Planning Scheme 

Yes it can. Being on the Heritage List or located within a designated Heritage Area does not mean that a property cannot be changed, however most works will require development approval. 

 The City has developed policies that provide guidance on the development of both individually listed places and places located within residential heritage areas:

• Local Planning Policy 3.4 Development guidelines for residential heritage areas; and
• Local Planning Policy 3.5 Development guidelines for places included on the Heritage List.

One of the functions of the LHS is to help inform the preparation of a Heritage List under the Local Planning Scheme. However inclusion on the LHS does not necessarily mean the place will be considered for inclusion on the Heritage List. 

To be considered for inclusion on the Heritage List a place must be of a level of cultural heritage significance to be deemed by Council as worthy of built heritage conservation. Generally this only applies to individual places that are identified as having either exceptional (level 1) or considerable significance (level 2) to the City. Places identified as being of some significance (level 3) are only referred to Council for consideration for inclusion in the Heritage List upon the receipt of a written request from the owner of that property. The relationship between the LHS and Heritage List is outlined in Flowchart 1 below.

Consideration for inclusion on the Heritage List is a separate process to the LHS and is undertaken in close consultation with the property owner. 

designated as a heritage area under the Local Planning Scheme?

Heritage areas designated under the Local Planning Scheme are areas that, in the opinion of Council, require special planning controls to conserve and enhance their cultural heritage significance and character. If a heritage area is included on the LHS it does not necessarily mean that it will be considered by Council as requiring special planning controls. The relationship between the LHS and Heritage Areas designated under the Local Planning Scheme is outlined in Flowchart 1 below. 

The process for considering the designation of Heritage Areas is a separate process to the LHS and is outlined in Local Planning Policy 3.1 – Additions and amendments to the LHS, Heritage List and Heritage Areas.

Flowchart 1 – Relationship between the LHS, Heritage List and Heritage Areas

The LHS is not legally binding so there are no implications for properties included on the LHS.

No. The LHS is a record of the development of the district and an information only resource. Inclusion on the LHS has no implications for the development of a property over and above the requirements that are already in place as part of the City’s local planning framework.

Because inclusion on the LHS has no implications on what you can do to your property it should not affect your property’s value. Like any property, its value will be affected by a range of factors including size, location, trends in the real estate market cycle and the quality and maintenance of the property.

No, the LHS does not affect ownership or access.  Places remain the sole property of the owner, and the owner's rights remain the same as with places that are not on the LHS.

As part of the process of including a place on the LHS the history of each place is carefully researched. You may find out some interesting things about your property should it be included.

Because information in the LHS can be used to inform the development of the Heritage List and the designation of Heritage Areas under the Local Planning Scheme, inclusion on the LHS could be perceived as the first step towards a legally binding heritage listing resulting in greater development controls to property owners.

The City is committed to assisting owners to conserve heritage places wherever possible and has developed a range of assistance measures. Owners of places on the Heritage List or located within a heritage area designated under the Local Planning Scheme are eligible for a range of heritage incentives offered by the City including:

• grant funding for conservation works
• complimentary expert heritage advice and guidance from one of the City’s heritage advisors
• waiving of planning (development) application fees
• planning incentives in the form of variations to any requirement of the Local Planning Scheme and Residential Design Codes. 

If your property is on the existing LHS you will be notified of the review in writing, invited to participate in the re-assessment of your property and you will be kept informed throughout the review process. If you would like to see a copy of the Place Record for your place you can search the Heritage Database on the City’s website here. Alternatively you can contact the City’s Planning Services on 9237 9222.

As part of the review process your property will be re-assessed to consider changes that may have occurred since it was last reviewed. Depending on the outcomes of the assessment a recommendation will be made as to whether your property stays on LHS, is removed from the LHS or whether its level of significance should be amended. As the property owner you will be advised of the assessment and consulted throughout the review process.

The decision as to whether to remove or include a place on the LHS is a decision of Council. As part of the review process you will be invited to make a submission on the reviewed LHS. All relevant information and submissions will be presented to Council for consideration.

Yes you can. The City welcomes and encourages nominations from property owners.

Yes. You do not need to be the property owner to nominate a place for consideration for inclusion on the LHS. The City welcomes nominations from the public.

If your property is on the current LHS you do not need to re-nominate. As part of the review process your property will be re-assessed to consider changes that may have occurred since it was last reviewed. As the property owner you will be advised of the assessment process and invited to participate.

If your property is nominated you will be advised of the nomination and invited to participate in the assessment process. If your place and/or street are assessed as being of cultural heritage significance any proposal to consider including it on the Local Heritage Survey will be undertaken with stakeholder consultation and no decision will be made without your knowledge and prior consultation. 

If you object to the inclusion of your property on the LHS you will have the opportunity to make a submission when the draft LHS is advertised for public comment. All information pertaining to the cultural heritage significance of places and the submissions received will be presented to Council for consideration.

Nominations can be made through completing the online nomination form on this page. Hard copy nomination forms are also available at the City’s administration building, Subiaco Library and Subiaco Museum. Hardcopy nominations can be submitted by mail, by hand or by email to city@subiaco.wa.gov.au.

The City has prepared a brochure outlining how to research the history of your property. It contains information on readily accessible resources, how or where they can be accessed, the information that can be gleaned from each resource and tips on how to use the resources effectively. Click here to download a copy.

The City’s heritage officer is available during office hours to answer any questions. Residents can either phone in and/or arrange a meeting.

• email: planning@subiaco.wa.gov.au

• phone the City on 9237 9222

The City has committed to proactively engage the community in the review of the LHS. As part of this engagement process, a HRG will be established to inform the review, giving the community representatives on the HRG an opportunity to provide their input into the review as it is undertaken.

The role of the group is:

• To provide a forum for open communication between the community and the City to identify and proactively manage any potential issues and opportunities that arise through the review process.
• To assist in establishing the consultation/engagement methodology with the wider community.
• To foster community awareness and understanding of the LHS review.
• To encourage community nominations for the LHS.
• To review and provide feedback on the draft LHS.

The HRG will have an opportunity to influence the following elements of the LHS review: 

• The consultation/engagement methodology with the wider community.
• How issues and opportunities that arise through the review process are addressed.
• The presentation of the LHS report to ensure the document is easy to understand and engaging for the reader.

Yes. There will be a number of opportunities for you to provide your input including when the City calls for nominations for the LHS and during consultation on the draft LHS once it is prepared. All submissions will be considered prior to the draft LHS being referred to Council for final adoption.

The City is looking for people who live in or own property in the Shenton Park Precinct, are generally representative of the City’s demographics and have a good understanding of local heritage. For further details you can read the group’s DRAFT Terms of Reference.

A panel of three officers will review the HRG nominations in line with the selection criteria. Names and contact details of nominees will be withheld. Members will be appointed based on:

• demographic criteria in accordance with the above selection criteria
• a commitment to a participative and consultative processes
• an interest in and/or knowledge of local heritage

The membership of the HRG shall comprise up to a maximum of ten (10) people.

The HRG will be in place until the draft Local Heritage Survey for the Shenton Park Precinct has been prepared and adopted by Council. 

Through the initial stages of the project (February and March 2025) it is anticipated that the HRG will meet monthly for a maximum of 2 hours per meeting. Following that meetings will be as required as the project progresses.

Specific days and times for meetings will be agreed with HRG members.

HRG members may be asked to attend engagement/consultation activities with the wider community.

Online and printable nomination expression of interest forms are available via the Have Your Say Subiaco 

 Hard copies are available from City of Subiaco Administration Centre, Level 2, 388 Hay Street, Subiaco or can be mailed out upon request.

Nominations must be submitted by 12pm Monday 10 February 2025 by either of the following means:

• online at www.haveyoursay.subiaco.wa.gov.au, or

• by email to city@subiaco.wa.gov.au, or

• in person to the Administration Centre at level 2, 388 Hay Street, Subiaco, or

• by mail addressed to: Chief Executive Officer, City of Subiaco, PO Box 270, Subiaco WA 6904