FAQs

Use our map of the 5 proposed White Gum Valley Heritage areas to see if your property is within one of the zones.

Properties individually listed can be found by clicking here

You'll be able to see whether your property is:

• inside a proposed Heritage Area
• proposed as an individual heritage place
• not affected by the proposal.

No.

Council has agreed to advertise the proposal and seek community feedback.

No final decision has been made.

Your feedback will be considered before Council decides whether to adopt, amend or not proceed with the proposal.

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.

Why are we doing this?

Heritage is an important part of our city’s identity and our point of difference. Alongside Fremantle’s many unique and highly significant individual heritage places, we are also fortunate to have a large concentration of houses, bungalows, terraces, duplexes, cottages, commercial buildings and industrial buildings from different eras. These buildings and places all contribute to the character of the City and its streetscapes, and contribute significantly to what makes Fremantle, Fremantle. It is important that we identify what does and does not have heritage significance in order to protect that which is significant and guide appropriate development in the future.

Listing is the way our heritage places are identified, managed and protected through the planning process. This helps look after the cultural heritage significance and the environmental, economic and social benefits of our heritage buildings for current and future generations. It’s not intended to stop all change – rather to help guide change. 

Independent heritage consultants assessed White Gum Valley against recognised heritage criteria.

Some streets were found to have a strong collection of homes, streetscapes and landscape features that together tell the story of White Gum Valley's development.

The community is now being asked whether the proposed boundaries and heritage values accurately reflect the area.

Usually, yes.

Being within a Heritage Area does not prevent renovations, extensions or new development.

Future development applications may simply need to demonstrate how they respect the heritage character of the area alongside existing planning requirements.

Yes. This consultation is open to everyone with an interest in White Gum Valley, including:

• residents
• property owners
• tenants
• local businesses
• community groups
• anyone who values the suburb's heritage.

Places within heritage areas can be defined as either ‘contributory’ or ‘non-contributory’ to the significance of the area. Contributory places may include places which are not individually heritage listed. Contributory places are determined by Council having due regard to an assessment against the criteria of the Burra Charter and may include representative examples of a place type, period or style, places which contribute to the streetscape; and/or one which combines with other related places to demonstrate the historic development of a heritage area.

The assignment of level of contribution in a Heritage Area is providing a level of knowledge and certainty to property owners. For example if a property is NON-CONTRIBUTORY, demolition of that property can be undertaken (after the issuing of a demolition licence). Contributory properties have heritage significance for their contribution to the streetscape, and require more development considerations. Local Planning Policy 3.6 guides development of all properties in heritage areas (contributory and non-contributory) and individually listed places.

A NON-CONTRIBUTORY place in a Heritage Area must still meet certain aspects of Local Planning Policy 3.6 Heritage Areas for example: Subdivision and Amalgamation, Change of Use and Infill Development. The general principle is that new development should fit in with the streetscape appearance of the area.

Contributory places are located in heritage areas and are important for their contribution to the streetscape. This means that internal changes are unaffected by any heritage overlay, while changes to the building's exterior need to retain the heritage significance.

Individually listed places have significance in their own right, and the heritage extends to the entire building, including internal spaces.

A place may be both contributory and individually listed, in which case the development standards of the individual listing would take precedent.

There is research demonstrating that caring for places of cultural heritage significance can generate environmental, economic and social benefits. This means that heritage can contribute to wider agendas such as health outcomes, education, the environment and urban planning. Some benefits include: 

• Heritage forms part of community identity and culture and creates a sense of place 
• Heritage educates people about the history and importance of places 
• Heritage may contribute towards social stability and cohesion in the community 
• There are economic benefits of heritage relating to individual places, the area as a whole and tourism 
• Retention of heritage buildings reduces energy usage associated with demolition, waste disposal and new construction 
• Retention of heritage buildings also promotes sustainable development by conserving existing embodied energy

We are undertaking this review to improve the way we make heritage planning decisions. The Local Heritage Survey (LHS) is an ongoing heritage survey of places of cultural heritage significance and continually needs updating as does the Heritage List and Heritage Areas.

The Local Heritage Survey (LHS) used to be called the Municipal Heritage Inventory (MHI). It is a database of heritage places in the City of Fremantle, which have been assessed for their aesthetic, historic, social or scientific value. It contains an invaluable collection of heritage information for more than 5000 places across the municipality, and is available on the Heritage Council of Western Australia’s website: inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au The LHS is for information purposes only. It does not have any legal implications for the development of land.

Under the City’s Local Planning Scheme 4, we are able to recognise individual properties of cultural heritage significance to Fremantle and worthy of conservation. The Heritage List is a list of places which are of cultural heritage significance attached our local planning scheme. The list only has the property address. It doesn’t include any other information.

Heritage areas are a collection of places with shared cultural heritage significance. Heritage areas are recognised in our local planning scheme and policies can be adopted for a heritage area to conserve and enhance the streetscape, key heritage features/elements and/or notable character etc. Declaring a heritage area provides some protection to the character and streetscape of that area – focused on its heritage values and significance. For example development proposals for places in heritage areas are assessed on the standard planning requirements and their impact on the heritage significance, streetscape and character of the area. Development that respects and is sympathetic to the heritage value of the area is supported by the City.

Often, a place is included in a Heritage Area AND individually listed on the Heritage List. Less commonly, a place may be included as Contributory in a Heritage Area but NOT individually listed on the Heritage List.

Currently where mapping of contributory places has not been undertaken for a Heritage Area, or has not been completed due to the inaccessibility of the site or the inability to fully reveal the existence of potentially fabric of cultural significance, this will be assessed as part of a planning application. Where an area has not yet been assessed, all properties are initially treated as if they may have significance and are assessed when an application is received.

Yes Local Planning Policy (LPP) 3.6 is specifically for Heritage Areas. The Deemed Provisions of the Planning and Development (Local Planning Schemes) Regulations 2015 requires a local planning policy to be prepared for any heritage area adopted under a planning scheme.