Regional & Rural Victoria

Mt Alexander Shire

April 2012. Amendment C55 seeks to implement the Shire of Newstead Heritage Study. In particular this will provide for heritage controls in the townships of Guildford, Campbells Creek, Fryerstown, and Newstead, The study identified 266 places of local and state significance (some of which already have a Heritage Overlay) and five heritage precincts, and recommended they be protected under the Mount Alexander Planning Scheme. The Mt Alexander Branch of the Trust and head office have made a submission in support.

Castlemaine Police Station

March 2012. VCAT has confirmed a permit for the new station. We have always been supportive of a new police station at corner of Hargraves Street and Templeton Street, hHowever the community was appalled by the original design released 18 months ago because of its lack of contextual design to the historic civic precinct. Our appearance at VCAT forced the police into a radical reappraisal of the design last December and forced the police architects and planners to do much more work to understand the local heritage requirements. As a result of our involvement the police came up with a much altered and improved design. Our experts at VCAT were still not 100% happy with new design but VCAT has approved it - overall, we have made a significant contribution to a better outcome.

Redesigned proposal, December 2011.

Original proposal 2010.

December 2011: Following mediation, this matter will be heard by VCAT for 6 February 2012 for three days.

The Mount Alexander Planning Scheme recognises the importance of the heritage place by including the site in the Castlemaine Central Conservation Area. The Planning Scheme clearly sets out what is expected of new buildings in a heritage place. We believe that the proposed Police Station design (above) does not conform with the decision guidelines of the Scheme.

We bewlieve that the most recent design still fails to respond to the guidance for development in this heritage place and has an architectural expression that cannot reasonably be considered to be an adequate, competent or concerted response to the characteristics and features of the adjacent high value heritage context.

Read local architect Geoff Crosby's view on the design

March 2011. Success! Our VCAT appeal (jointly with Save Maldon Streetscapes) on the matter of the Community Bank in Maldon has been upheld.

VCAT’s principal finding was that the bank proposal is unacceptable and it can be modified to result in an acceptable outcome in terms of heritage considerations.

Shire of Baw Baw

April 2012 Amendment C90 seeks to introduce new entries for heritage places and precincts across the Shire, excluding Warragul. We have made a submission in support.

Shire of Campaspe

April 2012. The Shire has exhibited amendment C50. This amendment seeks to implement the recommendations of the Campaspe Shire Heritage GAP Study. The Campaspe Shire (Gaps) Heritage Study was commissioned in September 2003. There were two components to the review:

1. Research, assessment and documentation of places of significance (previously unsurveyed areas of the Shire, including Rochester, Kyabram and Lockington and smaller towns and rural areas of the Shire).

2. Thematic environmental history of the whole of the Shire of Campaspe

Glenelg Shire

February 2011. Planning scheme amendment C55. Portland Observer reports on the proposed heritage overlay for 87 properties and six precincts at Cape Bridgewater, Casterton, Condah, Heywood, Tyrendarra and other townships in the Shire. We have made a submisison in support of the amendment.

Golden Plains Shire

January 2011. Planning Panel report released for heritage overlay amendment. http://www.dpcd.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/51929/VHG-10-11-Heritage-Studies.pdf

Horsham Rural City

Horsham Town Hall - Regional Arts project.

November 2011. The Council has resolved to redesign its proposed Regional Arts facility around a retained hall. Read Wimmera Mail Times report.

March 2011. Heritage Victoria has recommended inclusion of the Horsham Town Hall on the Victorian Heritage Register. More...

February 2011. VCAT decision announced: further submissions required on range of issues, including "whether the permit application achieves an acceptable outcome having regard to the reasons a permit is required, relevant design objectives, relevant decision guidelines and the purpose of Clause 43.02 and Schedule 5 [DDO5]." Decision here.

September 2010. The proposal to demolish the hall itself, while maintaining the front portion now used as the Horsham Art Gallery to create a Performing Arts Centre has divided the town. At the Council meeting on 6 September 2010 Councillors voted 5-2 for a planning permit approving the proposal. Commentary on facebook

The Town Hall complex was designed by noted theatre architect C N Hollinshed, and the hall interior is a notable example of the Art Deco style. The Hall has served the community since 1939, and many want it to remain exactly as it is, while others want entirely new facilities. The plans involve replacing the hall and carpark behind with a new 500+ seat theatre space, a flat floor function space and other facilities. Earlier plans retained the hall space as part of expanded facilities on the site, including a new stage and backstage, foyers and seating within the hall, replacing teh supper room and ancilliray spaces and the carpark to the rear. A heritage assessment by architectural historian Andrew Ward has shown that the hall is significant, and Trust feels that retention of the hall as part of the redevelopment, or a new Arts Centre on a new site, would be preferable to total demolition of the hall. Plans of the redevelopment can be found here. ABC regional radio's story from May, following a public meeting where the plans were revealed, including an interview with the mayor, can be found here.

The Street front will be retained

The hall itself would be demolished

Moorabool Shire

Bacchus Marsh heritage amendment (C6)

February 2012. A heritage overlay has been approved by the Minister for Planning for a limited number of places in the eastern part of the Moorabool Shire. When Council did finally dust it off their 2005 Bacchus Marsh study, it resolved to only pursue controls for a limited number of Bacchus Marsh places, principally places of worship. Residences were split out and will not be acted upon until an (unconventional) new selection criteria for inclusion is developed by the Council. The National Trust happily supports Councils get their heritage studies into planning schemes, particularly with Panel appearances, but the Council must expedite the work, and when necessary get it to a Planning Panel in a fit and proper state in the first place.

November 2010. At the Council meeting on 17 November 2010 to consider implementation of the long delayed Bacchus Marsh Heritage Study Council resolved to split the amendment in a bizarre and complex manner, including resolving for residential properties "to develop a policy on selection criteria for inclusion in the Heritage Overlay for amendment C06 to the Moorabool Planning Scheme for Private Residences." It would have been much simpler, as recommended by the Council's planning team, to refer all the objections to a Planning Panel in the usual manner!

August 2010. At Council meeting on 18 August Council resolved to defer consideration, and separate out places for referral to Assemblies of Council in the following order of priority: 1. Public buildings including churches; 2. geographical places e.g. avenues of honour and river gorges; 3. private residences. Council minutes available here.

July 2010. Amendment C6 was exhibited by Moorabool Moorabool Shire. The Bacchus Marsh Heritage Study (1995) has been unimplemented on a Council shelf until recently, following an earlier aborted attempt in 2002. The Shire is trying to implement the work contained in the heritage study undertaken in 1995 for the former Shire of Bacchus Marsh and around 170 individual places are recommended for inclusion in the heritage overlay. The Trust made a submission supporting the amendment.

City of Greater Bendigo

April 2012. The Strathfieldsaye & McIvor Heritage Study (Amendment C162) has been exhibited. The amendment applies to heritage places and precincts within the study area of the former Shires of McIvor and Strathfieldsaye (2009) comprising the south-east section of the City of Greater Bendigo. We will be making a submission supporting the amendment.

Buloke Shire

August 2011. Amendment C14 to the Buloke Planning Schemeproposes to introduce ten new precinct based Heritage Overlays into the Planning Scheme with a supporting policy for each and a general heritage policy. The affected towns are Charlton, Donald, Birchip and Wycheproof. The Amendment is the first step in implementing the outcomes of the Buloke Heritage Study which was commenced over ten years ago. The Panel has recommended that the Amendment proceed but has suggested that it needs to be substantially restructured before adoption.

French Island

August 2010. Following a review by Heritage Victoria, Heritage Overlay amendment C4 has been approved. French Island has a remarkable heritage. The review study details existing heritage overlay sites and sites recommended to be added to the overlay.