The Lydiard Street Heritage Precinct is the second heritage precinct in Ballarat to be reviewed and updated (the first was the Bridge Mall/Bakery Hill Heritage Precinct).

The aim is to review all heritage precincts and places currently included in the Heritage Overlay.

The purpose of undertaking the review of the Lydiard Street Heritage Precinct (and other precincts) is to prepare documentation (a heritage citation) that:

• Makes it very clear what, how and why the heritage precinct is of cultural heritage significance and which places contribute to that significance.
• Places a grading on each place within the precinct to identify to what degree it contributes to the cultural heritage significance of the precinct. This is important for owners, developers and planners as it may dictate how much change is acceptable to that place.
• Ensures that the precinct boundaries are correct and accurately mapped.
• Makes sure important elements and features which contribute to the precinct such as trees, fences and outbuildings and more rarely, very special interiors of buildings, are identified and protected.
• Ensures that property addresses are correctly noted.

The current heritage citation (the document which explains what, how and why the precinct is significant) was prepared over 20 years ago.

The current citation identifies places as either Contributory or Non-Contributory.

This is not consistent with current practice, which requires a place to be graded either:

• Significant (Local) - meaning that it is a Significant Place regardless of whether it is in a precinct or not.
• Contributory - meaning that it is a place that contributes to the heritage value of the precinct.
• Non-Contributory - meaning that the place does not contribute to the value of the precinct.

In addition, the current citation has incorrectly graded some places as 'Contributory' where the place makes no contribution to the heritage precinct (such as vacant land) or vice versa - where a place that clearly contributes to the precinct is incorrectly graded 'Non-Contributory'.

The main reason that it is important to have places accurately and consistently is to ensure that when development is proposed, we can ensure that the places which contribute to the significance of the precinct are known and appropriately managed.

A greater degree of change is acceptable to a Non-Contributory place than a Contributory or Significant (Local) place.

The review of the Lydiard Street Heritage Precinct found that there were a small number of Non-Contributory Places located on the boundaries of the precinct.

These places have been removed to ensure the Heritage Overlay applies to the key heritage areas, where stronger planning controls are required. It also allows for more flexibility in the redevelopment of places which do not have heritage value.

External Paint Controls apply

• This control is already 'turned on' in the current Schedule to the Heritage Overlay, and currently applies to all places in the Lydiard Street Heritage Precinct (the Precinct).

What this means:

• No changes are proposed to this field of the Schedule to the Heritage Overlay
• All places within the Precinct will still require a planning permit if the exterior paint colour is to be changed.
• A planning permit is still required to paint any unpainted surfaces.

Internal alteration controls apply?

• This control is not 'turned on' in the existing Schedule to the Heritage Overlay.
• This control is proposed to be 'turned on' for one place only - 31 Sturt Street, Ballarat Central (ground floor show room only)

What the proposed change means:

• Any changes are proposed to the interior ground floor showroom of 31 Sturt Street, Ballarat Central will require a planning permit.
• Changes to the interior of 31 Sturt Street, Ballarat Central other than the ground floor showroom will not require a planning permit.
• No other places within the Precinct will require a planning permit to make changes to the interior of the building.

Tree controls apply?

• This control is currently 'turned on' in the current Schedule to the Heritage Overlay and currently applies to all trees within the Lydiard Street Heritage Precinct.

What the proposed change means:

• A planning permit will be required for works to only those trees located within the Sturt Street median strip.
• A planning permit will not be required for works to any other trees within the Precinct.

Outbuildings and fences not exempt under Clause 43.01-4

• This control is currently not 'turned on' in the existing Schedule to the Heritage Overlay.
• The purpose of the control is to ensure that significant outbuildings and fences which contribute to the Precinct.

What the proposed change means:

• Planning permits for works to most outbuildings and fences within the Precinct will not be advertised as per Clause 43.01-4 of the Planning Scheme.
• The following places are considered to have significant outbuildings and/or fences. Planning permit for works to outbuildings and/or fences at these places will be advertised:

Fences

• 2 Albert Street, Ballarat Central
• 14 Camp Street, Ballarat Central
• 30-32 Camp Street, Ballarat Central
• 24 Doveton Street South, Ballarat Central
• 49 & 49a Lydiard Street, Ballarat Central

Outbuildings

• 112a Armstrong Street South, Ballarat Central
• 4 Doveton Street South, Ballarat Central
• 325-331 Mair Street, Ballarat Central
• 423-435 Sturt Street, Ballarat Central

Included on the Victorian Heritage Register under the Heritage Act 2017

• This only applies to a place or precinct included on the Victorian Heritage Register.
• No change is proposed to this control.

Prohibited uses permitted?

• This control is currently not 'turned on' in the existing Schedule to the Heritage Overlay.
• When this control is 'turned on' for a place, it means that a use not usually allowed for the zone can be considered.
• No change is proposed to this control.

Aboriginal Heritage Place

• This field only applies to a place that Aboriginal Heritage Victoria determines has Aboriginal cultural heritage values in addition to other heritage values.
• No change is proposed to this control.