Local governments throughout Western Australia can now apply for a share of $120,000 in State Government funding to assess, review, and develop local frameworks that protect places of cultural heritage significance through their local planning schemes.
The 2022-23 Local Government Heritage Consultancy Grants Program will provide local governments with up to $20,000 each in matched funding, so they can engage specialist heritage consultants to help with reviewing and developing their local heritage framework.
Under the Heritage Act 2018 and the Planning and Development (Local Planning Schemes) Regulations 2015, local governments are required to prepare a Local Heritage Survey (LHS) and a heritage list respectively to identify, record and protect heritage places within their localities.
Funding is available to help with assessing, reviewing, and developing heritage lists, heritage areas, LHS's, heritage-related local planning policies, and heritage strategies or similar guideline documents.
To prepare local heritage frameworks local governments are required to work with their communities to determine which places have or might have cultural heritage significance and need protection as part of the local planning scheme.
To apply for the Local Government Heritage Consultancy Grants Program visit: https://www.wa.gov.au/lg-heritage-grants
Applications close at 5pm on Monday 5 December, 2022.
As stated by Heritage Minister David Templeman:
"Local Heritage Surveys are an important local record of the places that are or might become a cultural heritage site to the local community.
"While the Local Heritage Survey has no statutory role, it does inform the preparation of a heritage list, which provides heritage places with legislative protection under the local planning scheme.
"We are aware that many local governments have outdated Local Heritage Surveys and around half do not have a heritage list.
"This funding will enable local governments to engage heritage consultants so they can review their Local Heritage Surveys and develop heritage lists to ensure that places of cultural heritage significance are afforded protection under the local planning scheme."
As stated by Local Government Minister John Carey:
"Local governments are at the very heart of our communities, so play a key role in protecting places of cultural heritage significance.
"These places should be considered by local governments for their aesthetic, historic, scientific, social or spiritual value, or any combination of these.
"This is complex work to undertake, and this grants program enables local governments to assess some very different heritage places using a unique framework for each."
