Heritage properties
Council has a strong commitment to the protection and enhancement of the region's heritage.
Heritage can relate to a wide variety of places, including a building or a group of buildings, a site or a landscape, as well as community and religious places.
There are a number of ways the region's heritage can be protected, most notably through the individual listing of places of state and local heritage significance. Bundaberg Regional Council has also designated parts of some older suburbs with ‘timber and tin’ dwellings, and the heritage town centres of Bundaberg and Childers, within a Neighbourhood Character Overlay in the planning scheme.
In Queensland, heritage lists contain places and items that are protected under the Queensland Heritage Act 1992 and the Planning Act 2016.
To help ensure development maintains and enhances identified places and areas of cultural heritage significance in the Bundaberg Region, the planning scheme includes a Heritage and Neighbourhood Character Overlay at Part 8 (Overlays), and a supporting Planning Scheme Policy for the Heritage and Neighbourhood Character Overlay Code.
State heritage places
State heritage places are established through the Queensland Heritage Act 1992 and are listed in the Queensland Heritage Register. The register can be accessed here.
State heritage places in the Bundaberg Region are identified within the Heritage and Neighbourhood Character Overlay within the Planning Scheme, however land owners proposing development on these places should contact Queensland Government’s Department of Environment and Science on 13QGOV (13 74 68).
Local heritage places
Local heritage places are listed in the Bundaberg Regional Council Planning Scheme 2015 and are established through the Planning Act 2016.
Local heritage places are listed within Schedule 6 of the Bundaberg Regional Council Planning Scheme and are stand-out examples of heritage buildings in the Council area, however not of significance to the state.
View Council’s local heritage places
Development of a local heritage place
The best way to protect heritage places is to ensure they remain in use and are valued by the community. Bundaberg Regional Council endeavours to work with property owners, or those intending to own a heritage place, to reach suitable outcomes that conserve the fabric of these places.
In certain circumstances, development on a local heritage place will require a Development Application to be assessed by Council. The Heritage and Neighbourhood Character Overlay is included in Part 8 (Overlays) of the Bundaberg Regional Council Planning Scheme 2015. Development will require assessment against the Heritage and Neighbourhood Character Overlay Code in the following circumstances:
Development if involving or adjoining a heritage place -
Where provisionally made accepted or accepted subject to requirements by a table of assessment in section 5.4 (Categories of development and assessment – Material change of use), development involving or adjoining a heritage place triggers code assessment against the Heritage and Neighbourhood Character Area Overlay in the following circumstances: -
- Material change of use - if involving a local heritage place as identified on a Heritage and Neighbourhood Character Overlay map and the change of use will result in building work involving the alteration, demolition, relocation or removal of the local heritage place.
- Building work – if involving a local heritage place as identified on a Heritage and Neighbourhood Character Overlay map and the building work involves the alteration, demolition, relocation or removal of the local heritage place.
Development if within a neighbourhood character area -
Where provisionally made accepted or accepted subject to requirements by a table of assessment in section 5.4 (Categories of development and assessment – Material change of use), development within a neighbourhood character area triggers code assessment against the Heritage and Neighbourhood Character Area Overlay in the following circumstances: -
- Material change of use – if within a neighbourhood character area as identified on a Heritage and Neighbourhood Character Overlay map and involving building work (other than an internal fitout to an existing building).
- Building work – if within a neighbourhood character area as identified on a Heritage and Neighbourhood Character Overlay map and involving:
(i) the demolition, relocation or removal of a Victorian, Federation or Interwar building or structure; or
(ii) any of the following external changes to Victorian, Federation or Interwar building or structure:-
(a) extensions forward of the existing front building alignment; or
(b) extensions not forward of the existing front building but visible from the street; or
(c) enclosing a front verandah; or
(d) a change of external building material or cladding to the front or side elevation; or
(e) raising the building.
Council does not currently charge application fees for applications that only require assessment against the Heritage and neighbourhood character overlay code.
For more information about cultural heritage places and neighbourhood character areas identified under the planning scheme, view Fact Sheet No. 8 – Heritage and Neighbourhood Character.
View Council's Interactive Mapping
Contributory elements
Contributory items are surviving examples of older buildings within character protected parts of the Bundaberg Region. These include Childers and Bundaberg CBD. These areas contribute positively to the historic and architectural character of a particular area. They do not however, display sufficient merit to be individually listed as local heritage places. These areas are found in the Heritage and Neighbourhood Character Overlay within the Planning Scheme.
How were local heritage places identified?
Converge Heritage and Community were engaged by Council to undertake a Heritage Study in late 2014. This study identified a comprehensive list of local heritage places across the region. The completed Heritage Study can be found here.
This study led to the initial listing of 69 local heritage places into the planning scheme.
Stage 2 of the Heritage Study was undertaken in 2016. As a result of this work, 10 additional local heritage places were included within the planning scheme as part of a major amendment which was adopted by Council 21 January 2020.
Additional places of local heritage significance will be investigated over time to determine whether their significance warrants management through the planning scheme.
Residents are able to request the investigation of additional heritage places by contacting Council’s development group.
Our Stories Our Places Heritage and Character Grant Program
Council has established a new grant program to assist owners of heritage buildings to preserve our history for future generations.
Our Stories Our Places Heritage and Character Grant Program provides a means for Council to deliver financial assistance to owners of eligible properties to undertake conservation works on local and state heritage places, and on commercial character buildings within the traditional main streets of Bundaberg and Childers.
Under this grant program, Council may contribute 50% (dollar-for-dollar) toward eligible conservation works up to a maximum contribution by Council of $10,000 per project (excluding GST).
To find out whether your property can benefit from the grant and for further information please visit the project page here.