What is heritage?

Heritage is anything we think is important and worth protecting so we can preserve it for future generations.

It refers to buildings, gardens, trees, forests, coastlines, streetscapes, archaeological remains, shipwrecks, objects, schools, markets and more.

We’re responsible for protecting places of local heritage significance. We do this by identifying places to include in the Heritage Overlay (through preparing heritage studies), making decisions on planning applications where the Heritage Overlay applies, and ensuring that the design of Council projects (e.g. capital works) considers heritage significance.

To learn more about the State Government’s role in protecting heritage (including the Victorian Heritage Register and historical archaeological sites), visit Heritage Victoria.

We’re protecting heritage by working with our community on heritage studies and other strategic planning projects that consider places of heritage significance.

Current studies and projects include:

The Castlemaine Heritage Study
Stage one was carried out over 2022 and 2023 with a heritage gap analysis. We have recently commenced stage two, which looks at reviewing the existing places covered by the Heritage Overlay.

The Maldon Historic Central Area Review
This review is also known as Heritage Overlay Schedule 445. The report is being finalised following consultation with the community in late 2022.

Housing and Neighbourhood Character Strategies
We have two Housing and Neighbourhood Character Strategies: one for Castlemaine, Campbells Creek and Chewton; and one for Maldon and Newstead. These strategies identify the opportunities and constraints for future residential development in these towns.

They will help us achieve future development while also protecting valued neighbourhood, heritage, environment and landscape character. They will also provide a framework to address the need for more affordable, diverse and sustainable housing options in these towns.

The Heritage Overlay is applied to any heritage place that has been formally recognised on the Victorian Heritage Register or identified in the Mount Alexander Planning Scheme.

If your property is within the Heritage Overlay, you must get a planning permit for all external changes, including front fences, and sometimes for painting, internal alterations and removing or pruning trees.

We protect heritage to honour and understand the past and how it contributes to our identity.

We protect it so we can understand and appreciate the different cultures, religions and experiences that shape our communities.

We also protect it so future generations can understand where they came from.

No. Heritage can be from recent periods and even our own lifetime.

Heritage is typically old because the passage of time allows heritage to be fully documented, consolidated and analysed. But it can be new places, objects and natural environments, too.

No. Heritage is anything we think is important and worth protecting so we can preserve it for future generations.

It often refers to buildings but it can also refer to gardens, trees, forests, coastlines, streetscapes, archaeological remains, shipwrecks, objects, schools, markets and more.

Yes. The degree of change will be guided by the significance of the place.

Contact our Planning Services team for advice on renovating heritage buildings and places.

Request a call back from our Heritage and urban design officer for technical advice.

Contact our Statutory planning team on 03 5471 1700 to discuss a specific property within the Heritage overlay and a proposed development.

Contact our Strategic Planning team on 03 5471 1700 or strategicplanning@mountalexander.vic.gov.au to discuss the heritage studies we’re currently undertaking.