White Gum Valley Heritage Areas and Heritage Listings

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to contribute to the White Gum Valley Heritage Review so far.

Across two stages of consultation, we've heard from property owners, residents and the wider community through surveys, individual meetings, phone calls and emails.

What we have heard

There is strong community interest in how White Gum Valley's heritage and neighbourhood character are recognised and protected.

We also heard a wide range of views about what should be protected, where heritage protections should apply, and how those protections could affect individual properties.

Your feedback has raised important questions about:

• where we draw the line between what is—and isn't—considered heritage as White Gum Valley continues to evolve
• which places and parts of the suburb are valued by the community and individual owners enough to warrant heritage protection
• how heritage protection can balance the character and history of White Gum Valley with the needs of people who live in and own properties in the area.

What happens next?

Following your extensive and invaluable input into this project we are reassessing how to move forward and will be in touch soon with next steps.

To continue to capture community feedback, the submission period for this project has been extended until Monday 28 September 2026.

The City of Fremantle is proposing five new heritage areas and a number of individually listed heritage places in White Gum Valley and is seeking community feedback. The new heritage areas will be incorporated into Local Planning Policy 3.6.1: Heritage Area Listings.

Introduction

The City of Fremantle is reviewing places in White Gum Valley to see which buildings, streets and areas may have heritage value. This is part of a wider review across the whole City. Similar work has already been completed in South Fremantle, and reviews are also underway in Beaconsfield and Central Fremantle.

Why are we doing this?

Fremantle’s older buildings, streets and places help make the city distinctive. A heritage listing does not mean a place can never change. It means the City will consider the heritage value of the place when assessing future changes, so important character can be retained while allowing appropriate development.

What is proposed for White Gum Valley?

The City has reviewed White Gum Valley and identified some properties and five possible heritage areas for further consideration. These are shown on the map and explained in the Key Documents section of this page.

On the map, properties shown in tan are proposed to have some level of heritage value. This may be because they are contributory, individually listed, or both. If your property is inside a proposed heritage area, it will be described as either contributory or non-contributory.

Contributory means the property helps create the heritage character of the street or area.

Non-contributory means the property is not considered to have heritage significance itself. However, if new development can be seen from the street, it should still be designed to fit with the character of the area.

To see what is proposed for your property, search the map or check the lists below:

List of Proposed Individual Listings (includes existing listed properties) and,

List of Contributory Properties within each Heritage Area.

As part of this process, the addition of the heritage areas and the contributory properties are included in the proposed amendments to Local Planning Policy 3.6.1: Heritage Area Listings.

What does this mean for your property?

If your property is proposed for heritage listing, or is within a proposed heritage area, it does not mean you cannot make changes to your home or property.

It means that, if you want to demolish, alter, extend or build on the property in the future, the City may need to consider how the proposal affects the heritage character of the place or area.

In many cases, changes can still be supported where they are carefully designed and respond to the existing building, streetscape or surrounding area.

For example, a heritage listing may influence things like the scale, design, materials or location of new work, especially where it can be seen from the street.

If you are unsure what is proposed for your property, check the map and property lists above, or contact the City before making plans for future work.

The Info Sheet and FAQ on the side of this page provide more information, including an explanation of what a specific heritage level means.

What happens next?

Once consultation closes, submissions will be reviewed and a report prepared. The report will be presented to the Planning Services Committee with final recommendations and made public on the City's website. Everyone who has put in a submission will be notified of the meeting and given an opportunity to register to speak at the meeting if they choose.

How to have your say

• Survey: Contribute feedback by completing the survey below
• In-person appointment, Teams Meeting or Phone Call with a City Officer:

If you would like to meet 1:1 with City Officers, have a 1:1 Teams Meeting with City Officers or Speak to a City Officer by phone you can request this by emailing planning@fremantle.wa.gov.au or calling 1300 MY FREO.

How to make a submission

Please make all formal submissions via the survey form below to ensure your feedback is captured. All submissions will be included in a public Council report, with names and contact information redacted.

A hard copy of the survey and advertised materials can be sent or picked up upon request by emailing planning@fremantle.wa.gov.au .

Submissions close 28 September at 5pm AWST.