Planning rules have been strengthened to increase protections for historical buildings and character areas.

The Malinauskas Labor Government has encouraged councils to increase building protections to significant sites by elevating existing “Character Areas” to new “Historic Areas”.

The changes will also protect streetscapes, with Councils to address identified gaps in ‘area statements’, which will ensure any design or development is bespoke to the local character and heritage of the area.

The strengthened heritage protections have already been implemented after being identified as an early recommendation from the Government’s expert panel review into the State’s Planning System.

The City of Adelaide, Prospect, Norwood Payneham and St Peters and Barunga West Councils are the first Councils to identify areas to be involved.

The changes to the planning rules will provide these Councils with tools to assist in the ongoing protection and management of the State’s important areas of character and established neighbourhood streetscapes, important to local communities.

The City of Norwood Payneham and St Peters is identifying additional representative buildings in the area for further protection, including inter-war housing. They have also requested to extend the Historic Area Overlay to ensure significant buildings have demolition controls.

The City of Prospect is applying for an amendment to the State’s Planning and Design Code to include 446 Representative Buildings not currently listed.

Proposed amendments by the Barunga West Council will list 46 sites of local heritage importance providing certainty to landowners and the community around processes for heritage identification, protection and conservation.

Currently there are no local or state heritage listed sites in the Barunga West Council area.

The proposed changes would recognise a range of locally important heritage sites in Bute and Port Broughton, including buildings, memorials and monuments, a lime kiln site, jetty, well and tank, and row of Norfolk Island Pines.

In recognition of the proactive work from these Councils, the State Government will also be matching Council’s costs for the Code Amendment process with a funding grant up to $75,000.

Many other councils are also working with Government to recognise and protect their local heritage places and character areas through the Code Amendment process.

This is the latest in a string of initiatives by the Government to protect the State’s heritage buildings, with new legislation before State Parliament that would significantly increase penalties for anyone that neglects or destroys state heritage listed buildings.

The Malinauskas Government will support the Greens bill with amendments aimed at increasing penalties to bring them into line with national standards.

Under the Government’s proposed amendments, maximum fines for body corporates will rise from $500,000 to $1 million, and from $250,000 to $500,000 for individuals.

Quotes

Attributable to Nick Champion

We are committed to protecting our State’s heritage, and we know the local community is equally as passionate.

These changes will make it easier for Councils to protect specific sites and buildings of significance, and provide certainty for landowners.

We want to conserve heritage streetscapes, not just for community aesthetic but for the protection of property investment.

I congratulate the Councils for their efforts to identify new local heritage places to be protected under these new changes.

Attributable to Lucy Hood MP, Member for Adelaide

Our community is incredibly proud of our leafy green streets, lined with character homes and buildings that hold so much history.

Our neighbourhoods are renowned for this heritage and character and we want to ensure that is not only protected - but strengthened.

I am thrilled to see these changes come into effect and thank our local councils for their efforts in this space.

Attributable to Cressida O’Hanlon, Candidate for Dunstan

I have spoken to thousand of people in our community over the past 3 years and it’s clear from the conversations I’ve had that the issue of preserving our local character and heritage is something people are passionate about.

I live within an Historic Area Overlay. I choose to do so because I absolutely love our community’s historic buildings and charming streetscapes. Our built heritage is part of what makes our area such a special place to live.

The Malinauskas Labor Government’s planning rule changes enables councils to identify those properties needing additional protection. I will gladly work alongside the councils within the electorate of Dunstan to ensure our beautiful built heritage is protected for generations to come.