The Southern Highlands has a rich history which began with the traditional owners of the land, the Gundungurra and D’harawal people, and later European settlers who first explored the area in 1798.
The following pages provide information about heritage in the Wingecarribee Shire, including development on heritage properties (including those within heritage conservation areas), heritage studies and where to go to find out more information about heritage sites.
Recent history
The region is today recognised for its impressive 19th and 20th century buildings and streetscapes as well as for its natural and farming landscapes. European settlement commenced in the area around 1820.
Properties such as Throsby Park, Oldbury, Vine Lodge and Wingecarribbee have buildings dating back to the early to mid 19th Century which survive today.
The first settlement, Bong Bong settlement, located on the Moss Vale Road between Moss Vale and Burradoo adjoining the Wingecarribee River, is marked by an obelisk and sits within the greenbelt between Moss Vale and Burradoo as part of the Burradoo Landscape Conservation Area.
Berrima, the second settlement to be established in the district, dates back to the 1830s and survives today as the last remaining, largely intact, Georgian-period town on mainland Australia.
The 1860s saw rapid development through the advent of the Main Southern Railway Line. Mittagong, Bowral and Moss Vale grew quickly. A number of settlements across the Shire sprung up in the late 19th century and early 20th century including Bundanoon, Exeter and Burrawang. Joadja, located west of Mittagong, was a mining town of significance between the 1880s and 1920s. While significant parts of this State Heritage Listed and Nationally significant "ghost town" are still in existence, recent conservation work undertaken with the assistance of Council and a grant from the Federal Government has slowed and reversed the deterioration of its remaining buildings and structures.
The countryside has played an important part in the development of the area for farming as well as quarrying. Cooler climates, reliable rainfalls and good soils attracted many farmers who cleared a large part of the Shire’s remnant vegetation, resulting in today’s landscape mix of open paddocks and bushland areas.
Is my property heritage?
The local heritage of the Wingecarribee Shire is managed through the Wingecarribee Local Environmental Plan (WLEP) 2010. Clause 5.10 of the WLEP 2010 contains the planning controls for heritage places and Schedule 5 lists the statutory heritage items, archaeological sites and heritage conservation areas in the Wingecarribee Shire.
Heritage sites and areas are mapped on the Heritage Map that forms part of the WLEP 2010 and can also be viewed via the NSW Planning Portal Spatial Viewer where you can search by property address and the ability to display a range of planning and related information about a property including zoning, bush fire hazard, flooding and heritage listings (including State Heritage Register items of State heritage significance).
Confirmation of any heritage and other planning information can be obtained in writing by applying for a planning certificate (in accordance with section 10.7 of the Environment Planning and Assessment Act 1979 [formerly section 149]).
A planning certificate will state—among other things—whether your property is a heritage item or within a conservation area. There are two types of certificates: a section 10.7(2) which provides the statutory information and a section 10.7(2) & (5) which provides additional information. (Note that the 10.7(5) certificate does not provide additional heritage information.
Local government is the principal manager of heritage in NSW. A council’s local environmental plan (LEP) contains heritage provisions that provides the overarching framework for heritage management in its local government area and contains a schedule or list of sites and areas that have been identified as being of heritage significance (mainly on a local level).
The local heritage of the Wingecarribee Shire is managed through the Wingecarribee Local Environmental Plan (WLEP) 2010. Clause 5.10 of the WLEP 2010 contains the statutory planning controls for heritage places (supported by development control plans for each area of the Shire) and Schedule 5 lists the statutory heritage items, heritage conservation areas and archaeological sites. There are currently more than 400 heritage items and sites and 17 heritage conservation areas within the Wingecarribee Shire.
Heritage items, archaeological sites and heritage conservation areas are mapped in the Heritage Map sheets that form part of the WLEP 2010. Heritage items and areas can also be viewed via the NSW Planning Portal Spatial Viewer.
Heritage Items and the Heritage Assessment Criteria
A heritage item is something which has been assessed as having at least local significance using the heritage assessment criteria in the NSW Heritage Manual.
An item is considered to be of local heritage significance if it meets one or more of the following criteria on a local level. For an item to be considered for listing on the State Heritage Register (of State heritage significance), it must meet two or more criteria on a State level:
| Criterion (a): Historical |
An item is important in the course, or pattern, of NSW's cultural or natural history (or the cultural or natural history of the local area) |
| Criterion (b): Associational
|
An item has a strong or special association with the life or works of a person, or group of persons, of importance in NSW's cultural or natural history (or the cultural or natural history of the local area). |
| Criterion (c): Aesthetic |
An item is important in demonstrating aesthetic characteristics and/or a high degree of creative or technical achievement in NSW (or the local area). |
| Criterion (d): Social |
An item has strong or special association with a particular community or cultural group in NSW (or the local area) for social, cultural or spiritual reasons. |
| Criterion (e): Research |
An item has the potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of NSW's cultural or natural history (or the cultural or natural history of the local area). |
| Criterion (f): Research |
An item possesses uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of NSW's cultural or natural history (or the cultural or natural history of the local area). |
| Criterion (g): Representatives |
An item is important in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a class of NSW's (or the local area's) cultural or natural places or environments. |
Every potential heritage item must be assessed against all criteria, but rarely will items be significant under all criteria. Once the heritage significance of an item is established, Council must undertake the statutory process (including public exhibition and consultation) of amending its Local Environmental Plan (LEP) in order to add the item to the heritage schedule. This process is called the Planning Proposal process. More information on the Planning Proposal process can be accessed here.
Heritage Conservation Areas
A heritage conservation area (HCA) is an area that displays unifying attributes or elements of heritage significance and can include whole sections of towns and villages.
There are 17 HCAs within the Wingecarribee Shire, as listed under Part 2 of Schedule 5 of the WLEP 2010, as follows:
- Berrima Conservation Area
- Berrima Landscape Conservation Area
- Bowral Conservation Area
- Bundanoon Conservation Area
- Anglewood Conservation Area (Burradoo)
- Burradoo Landscape Conservation Area
- Burrawang Conservation Area
- Joadja Conservation Area
- Mittagong Conservation Area
- The Maltings Conservation Area (Mittagong)
- Argyle Street North Conservation Area (Moss Vale)
- Argyle and Browley Streets Conservation Area (Moss Vale)
- East Street Conservation Area (Moss Vale)
- Throsby and Arthur Streets Conservation Area (Moss Vale)
- Throsby Park Conservation Area (Moss Vale)
- Valetta Street Conservation Area (Moss Vale)
- Aitken Road Conservation Area (Bowral)
The HCAs are shown on the Heritage Maps associated with WLEP 2010 available for viewing via the NSW Planning Portal. Alternatively, a property can be searched using the NSW Planning Portal Spatial Viewer in which different planning affectations (including heritage) can be displayed.
The State Heritage Register and State Heritage Inventory
Established in 1999, the State Heritage Register is a list of places of State heritage significance and are often referred to as State Heritage Items. The list comprises places that have been assessed as having importance to NSW as a whole and these places can be in either public or private ownership. Nominations for listing on the State Heritage Register are assessed by the NSW Heritage Council. State Heritage Register items are administered by Heritage NSW under the NSW Heritage Act 1977.
There are currently 41 places within the Wingecarribee Shire on the State Heritage Register ranging from Throsby Park in Moss Vale to the Berrima Internment Group along the banks of the Wingecarribee River in Berrima to the Mount Gibraltar Quarries Complex in Bowral.
Places listed in Schedule 5 of the Wingecarribee Local Environmental Plan 2010 that are also listed on the State Heritage Register are indicated as being of “State” significance. Further information about the difference between State and local heritage can be found on the Heritage NSW website.
State Heritage Items can be viewed and searched using the State Heritage Inventory available on the Heritage NSW website (link below). The State Heritage Inventory also contains information about all heritage items (State, local and heritage assets under the care of State agencies) in NSW.
Search the State Heritage Inventory
The Benefits of Owning a Heritage Property
The advantages of heritage listing a property are as follows:
- It provides certainty for owners, neighbours and intending purchasers. This is important when people are looking for a particular environment in which to live and work. It explains why certain suburbs, towns, villages and rural properties are sought after as places in which to live and work. This is an important issue in Wingecarribee and many of our towns and villages contain heritage items and heritage conservation areas.
- Protection of an item also requires Council to consider the effect on that item of any proposed development in the vicinity.
- It confirms a heritage status that many people are proud of and is useful for many commercial operators for use in advertising e.g. bed and breakfast places. Listing often provides information on the history and style of the item not known to the owner.
- Through flexibility clauses (such as clause 5.10(10) of the Wingecarribee Local Environmental Plan 2010) owners of heritage items can apply for otherwise non-conforming or prohibited uses where conservation of the heritage item can be demonstrated.
- It enables free access to Council’s heritage advisory service.
- It enables potential savings through special heritage valuations. If a property is listed on Council’s Local Environmental Plan, a property owner can request a heritage valuation for land tax purposes through the Valuer General NSW. This can result in a reduction in land tax. It also means properties are given a discounted property value by the Valuer General NSW for rating purposes, thereby reducing Council rates. For more information visit the website of the Valuer General NSW.
- It enables priority access to heritage grants through both the Heritage NSW and from Council. Listing is a minimum requirement for all Heritage NSW funding.
- Real estate advertising suggests that heritage properties are considered a plus and that they command a premium price in many markets including the residential market, country towns, villages and farms.
Further information on what a heritage listing means to a property owner is available from the publication Heritage Listing Explained - what it means for you published by Heritage NSW.
Development, as defined in section 1.5 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 includes (but is not limited to) the use of land, the subdivision of land, the erection of a building, the carrying out of a work and demolition, and in this context is used to describe any change to a place.
Heritage sites (including heritage items, properties within heritage conservation area and archaeological sites) demonstrate evidence of the past and are protected so that they are maintained for the enjoyment, education and understanding of future generations. Heritage listing does not mean that a property cannot change or adapt to meet the needs of the current and future occupants and users. However, any changes must be carefully considered and be designed and undertaken in a manner that does not adversely affect the heritage significance of the place. Similarly, development in heritage conservation areas needs to reflect the existing or desired character, which includes retention of period buildings.
To ensure that heritage significance is retained (or enhanced), there are certain parameters and requirements placed on development affecting heritage properties. When contemplating changes to a heritage place, you should consult the following legislation, plans and documentation to help inform your proposal:
- The applicable Development Control Plan applying to the area provides further and detailed guidance about different type of land use and development and provides controls for development on heritage items, in the vicinity of heritage items, and within heritage conservation areas. These should be read carefully before development is designed to understand Council’s expectations and requirements.
- Although it is non-statutory, the ICOMOS Charter for Places of Cultural Significance (Burra Charter) provides the best practice heritage approach for all aspects of heritage and conservation and is a useful reference guide to consult when undertaking any development on heritage sites.
In addition, there are State Environmental Planning Policies that provide for exempt and complying development pathways for certain types of minor development (see below).
The following sections provide further guidance for approval pathways and certain types of development specifically applying to heritage places.
Exempt and complying development
State Environmental Planning Policy (Exempt and Complying Development Codes) 2008 (the Codes SEPP) provides for exempt development for which no approval is required and complying development which provides a simplified approval process.
Exempt development
General information about exempt development is available from the Exempt Development section of this website. The following additional information on exempt development is specific to heritage properties.
There are numerous types of exempt development that can be undertaken on some heritage sites within certain parameters, including:
- Air-conditioning units
- Barbecues and other outdoor cooking structures
- Cabanas, cubby houses and garden sheds etc.
- Change of use of premises
- Fences
- Flagpoles
- Home businesses, home industries and home occupations
- Privacy screens
- Signage
Clause 1.16 of the Codes SEPP contains the general requirements for exempt development and Part 2 contains the range of exempt development and the parameters and development standards applying to each exempt development type.
The following activities ARE NOT exempt development on heritage sites (see Maintenance and Minor Works for more information):
- Exterior painting (including new colour schemes and painting of previously unpainted surfaces, such as brickwork)
- Roof replacement.
Please note that exempt development for the installation of solar panels is contained within clause 2.41(4) of State Environmental Planning Policy (Transport and Infrastructure) 2021. In accordance with this clause, installation of solar panels on heritage items and within heritage conservation areas can be undertaken without approval subject to certain conditions being met (including not being visible from any road at the point where the road adjoins the property boundary concerned).
Complying development
General information about complying development is available from the Complying Development section of this website. The following additional information on complying development is specific to heritage properties.
Complying development is not available as an approval pathway for locally listed heritage items or archaeological sites as per clause 1.17A(1)(d) of the Codes SEPP. However, for properties on the State Heritage Register, in certain circumstances, and where there is an existing exemption for minor works under the NSW Heritage Act 1977 in place, some minor forms of complying development may be available. See clause 1.17A(2) of the Codes SEPP (link above) and the Standard Exemptions section of the Heritage NSW website for more information.
Building of new dwellings in heritage conservation areas is not permissible under complying development. However, there are certain forms of minor development (including internal alterations) that are possible within heritage conservation areas under certain complying development codes. See Parts 3 to 8 inclusive of the Codes SEPP for more information.
Maintenance and minor works
Maintenance and certain types of minor works can obtain an exemption from development consent but do require written permission from Council, in accordance with clause 5.10(3) of the WLEP 2010. Under this clause, development consent is not required for works that Council is satisfied are of a minor nature or for maintenance and that do not adversely affect the heritage significance of the heritage item, area or site.
Development of a minor nature or for maintenance is:
- Development that would be exempt development or development permitted without consent under State Environmental Planning Policy (Exempt and Complying Development Codes) 2008 (Codes SEPP) or State Environmental Planning Policy (Transport and Infrastructure) 2021 (ISEPP) except for the heritage affectation of the subject land, or
- Development that exceeds the exempt development standards specified in the Codes SEPP or ISEPP by a small degree and that is assessed by Council officers as not adversely affecting the heritage significance of the heritage place, or
- Other development not specified in the Codes SEPP that is considered by Council officers to be minor with no adverse heritage impact, or
- Maintenance that complies with the definition within the WLEP 2010 Dictionary:
maintenance, in relation to a heritage item, Aboriginal object or Aboriginal place of heritage significance, or a building, work, archaeological site, tree or place within a heritage conservation area, means ongoing protective care, but does not include the removal or disturbance of existing fabric, alterations (such as carrying out extensions or additions) or the introduction of new materials or technology.
Types of works or activities for which a heritage exemption may be granted include:
- Exterior re-painting (including new colour schemes)
- Like-for-like roof replacement
- Minor landscaping and paving
- Front fences
- Some internal alterations that don’t involve changes to room configurations.
Routine maintenance which does not involve a change to the building or site (such as lawn mowing, cleaning, inspection of gutters) does not require development consent or reference to Council. Where a heritage item specifically includes the garden, the ordinary day to day maintenance and replanting of garden beds does not require approval. The removal of significant mature trees, however, or changing the form of a garden designed in a certain style, would require consent.
To request a heritage exemption, send an email to heritage@wsc.nsw.gov.au with the following information:
- Name and contact details of applicant.
- Detailed description of proposed works.
- Any plans of the proposed works (if available).
- Brief statement justifying why you consider the works to be minor and why the proposal will not have an adverse impact on the heritage significance of the heritage place.
- Site plan showing site boundaries, streets, street names, existing buildings on the site, existing vegetation (if in the vicinity of the proposed works). The location of the proposed works (if in a specific area) should also be indicated. The plan should be to scale or if it’s hand-drawn it should include approximate dimensions.
- Colour photographs (preferably in electronic format and not embedded into a PDF or other document) showing the heritage item from the outside (e.g. from the street, if visible) and photos of the area subject to the minor works request. If it is a roof, it should include photographs of existing gutters and downpipes.
If applying for a new colour scheme, details of proposed colour scheme, including colour name(s) and brand.
Exemptions are also available for items on the State Heritage Register through Heritage NSW. See the Standard Exemptions section of the Heritage NSW website for more information.
You must await a written response from Council before any works are undertaken.
Demolition
All demolition for any building on a heritage site requires Council consent.
Demolition of heritage items and period buildings in heritage conservation areas is strongly discouraged. However, sometimes there are structures on heritage sites that are not themselves of heritage significance that may be able to be demolished subject to assessment and Council consent.
In some instances the retention of heritage items may be potentially harmful to the community, or would entail such an unreasonable cost that restoration or maintenance of the property or building is insupportable. Under these circumstances Council may consider approving demolition and would impose a condition of consent requiring a photographic and written archival recording of the building prior to demolition. This ensures that a record of the building’s existence is made and retained.
Extensions and alterations
Except for certain types of exempt and complying development (under the Codes SEPP), alterations and additions to heritage items and within heritage conservation areas require consent.
One of the main considerations in assessing an application for an extension or alteration is to ensure that the significance of the building or property is not diminished by the proposed works. This can depend on a number of factors including:
- Size and scale of the proposed extension
- Location of the extension on the site
- Architectural merit
- Materials and finishes
- Visual impact upon the streetscape.
Extensions do not have to replicate the style and proportions of the heritage building but new work should be compatible with the building and not detract from nor diminish its significance.
Further assistance
If you still have questions after reading the above information, please make an appointment to speak with Council’s Duty Planner. Alternatively, you might consider engaging the services of a heritage consultant, heritage architect or a town planning consultant to assist you with your development.
The Wingecarribee Heritage Study 1993
The original study for the Wingecarribee Shire was commissioned in 1990 by the Heritage Council of NSW, the Department of Planning and Wingecarribee Shire Council and was undertaken by JRC Planning Services. This study examined the heritage of the Wingecarribee Shire, provided recommendations about the conservation and management of heritage and recommended a list of heritage items, which were subsequently listed in the Local Environmental Plan (LEP) of the day: the Wingecarribee LEP 1989.
Volume 1 (comprising Introduction, Historical Context, Overview of Heritage Resources and Assessment of Significance, and Heritage Conservation Strategy) of the study can be accessed from the links below. It has been broken into 4 parts for ease of downloading.
The Wingecarribee Heritage Survey 2009
In early 2008, Council embarked on a project to investigate the heritage significance of approximately 700 new buildings and places within the Wingecarribee Shire as potential new heritage items.
These sites had been identified for further investigation through earlier heritage studies and reports, through Land Use Applications received by Council, by Council’s Heritage Advisor and planners, and nomination by members of the local community.
Council engaged heritage consultants to research each identified site and to evaluate its heritage significance. The consultants have recommended that nearly 400 of the investigated properties be made heritage items under the Wingecarribee Local Environmental Plan (WLEP) 2010.
Council resolved on 8 February 2012 to notify the owners of these identified properties to inform them of the consultants’ findings and to provide an opportunity for them to discuss the implications of heritage listing with Council officers. These notifications and consultations commenced in February 2012.
In July 2012 Council, at its Ordinary Meeting of 11 July 2012, resolved to defer a decision on this report pending further consultation with owners.
Further consultations and requests for feedback were undertaken with property owners and these were reported to Council on 28 November 2012. Council resolved to heritage list Council owned and controlled properties and those whose owners support heritage listing and this was effected through Amendment No. 40 to the Wingecarribee Local Environmental Plan 2010. The other properties have been re-examined as part of the Heritage Review 2021-22.
Heritage Review 2021-22
Council staff is in the process of finalising a review of the items deferred from 2012 plus an examination of a number of other proposed heritage items and heritage conservation areas. It is anticipated that this study will be reported to the Local Planning Panel and Council later soon after April 2023 with consultation with owners and exhibition to the wider community occurring thereafter.
An interim heritage order (IHO) is a mechanism under the NSW Heritage Act 1977 which provides immediate protection over “a place, building, work, relic, moveable object or precinct in the council’s area that the council considers may, on further inquiry or investigation, be found to be of local heritage significance, and that the council considers is being or is likely to be harmed” (section 25 of the Heritage Act 1977).
Council has been given delegation from the Minister to issue its own Interim Heritage Orders. IHOs are valid for six (6) months while Council undertakes an assessment of the heritage significance of the place. If Council should decide to proceed to listing the place as a heritage item or within a heritage conservation area, the protection under an IHO will be extended for a further six (6) months.
As of 27 April 2023, there were no current IHOs for the Wingecarribee Shire. Below is a list of IHOs previously issued by Council.
A list of current IHOs in NSW is available on the Heritage NSW website at https://www.heritage.nsw.gov.au/protecting-our-heritage/interim-heritage-orders/.
Current Interim Heritage Orders
There are no current IHOs for the Wingecarribee Shire. Below is a list of IHOs previously issued by Council.
Previous Interim Heritage Orders
The following Interim Heritage Orders have been issued by Wingecarribee Shire Council but have now lapsed.
IHO # 1: 'Holly Cottage', 5 Blue Gum Road, Bundanoon
IHO No. 1 - published 16 January 2004. Subject property is now a heritage item listed in Schedule 5 of the WLEP 2010 (item I1718).
IHO # 2: 'Lynton', 618-620 Argyle Street, Moss Vale
IHO No. 2 - published 6 February 2004. Subject property is now a heritage item listed in Schedule 5 of the WLEP 2010 (item I413).
IHO # 3: Jackman's Cottage, 3 Governors Street, and Governors Street, Bundanoon
IHO No. 3 - published 21 December 2007 (amended 27 June 2008). Jackman's Cottage and Governors Street are now heritage items (item I1371 and I1822 respectively) listed in Schedule 5 of the WLEP 2010.
IHO # 4: 'Bethel Cottage', 38 Old Hume Highway, Mittagong
IHO No. 4 - published 7 May 2010. Subject property is now a heritage item listed in Schedule 5 of the WLEP 2010 (item I1849).
IHO # 5: 'Girraween', 53 Telopea Road, Hill Top
IHO No. 5 - published 14 May 2010. Council noted the heritage significance of the property but resolved not to list the subject site as a heritage item.
IHO # 6: 'Lynbrook', 115-129 Railway Avenue, Bundanoon
IHO No. 6 - published 16 September 2016. IHO lapsed before a heritage assessment was undertaken by Council. Is a potential heritage item.
IHO # 7: Former 'OLSH' site, 2-18 Centennial Road, Bowral
IHO No. 7 - published 19 January 2018. Council noted the heritage significance of the property but resolved not to list the subject site as a heritage item.
IHO # 8: 'Welby Park Manor', 28 Old Hume Highway, Welby
IHO No. 8 - published 21 December 2018. Council deferred consideration of the heritage assessment and the IHO lapsed on 21 June 2019. A further report recommending heritage listing of the site was considered by Council on 12 February 2020 and was deferred to "enable staff to bring back to Council further information to address Council’s concerns regarding the internal and external heritage value of the property." This matter is on hold due to restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 crisis but will be progressed as soon as possible.
IHO # 9: 'Aitken Road Group Bowral', namely 25-27, 29, 31, 33-37 and 39-41 Aitken Road, Bowral
IHO No. 9 - published 18 January 2019. 25-27 Aitken Road, 33-37 Aitken Road and 39-41 Aitken Road now comprises a heritage item called “Aitken Road Interwar Housing Group” listed in Schedule 5 of the WLEP 2010 (item I7001) and the southern end of Aitken Road (comprising numbers 12-30 and 25-43, inclusive) now forms a new heritage conservation area called the “Aitken Road Conservation Area”.
IHO # 10: 'Rochester Park', 102-104 Old Wingello Road, Bundanoon
IHO No. 10 - published 22 February 2019. Subject property is now a heritage item listed in Schedule 5 of the WLEP 2010 (item I1200).
IHO # 11: 'Yarrabin', 32 Kangaloon Road, Bowral
IHO No. 11 - published 21 August 2020. Subject property is now a heritage item listed in Schedule 5 of the WLEP 2010 (item I7532) and is also included within the Bowral Conservation Area.
IHO # 12: 2 & 4 Myrtle Street, Bowral
IHO No. 12 - published 19 November 2021 (see notice in the NSW Government Gazette). A Planning Proposal (PP-2022-1345) was prepared to include 2, 4 and 6 Myrtle Street, Bowral, within the Bowral Conservation Area and provided the justification for the preparation of Wingecarribee Local Environmental Plan 2010 (Amendment No. 65) which was published and came into force on 4 November 2022.
2, 4 and 6 Myrtle Street, along with the adjacent part of the Myrtle Street road reserve are now within the mapped area of the Bowral Conservation Area (item C059, C089 and C235).
IHO # 13: ‘Karingal’, 26 Elizabeth Street, Moss Vale
IHO No. 13 - published 19 November 2021 (see notice in the NSW Government Gazette). A Planning Proposal (PP-2022-1345) was prepared to include both lots comprising 26 Elizabeth Street, Moss Vale, as a new heritage item and provided the justification for the preparation of Wingecarribee Local Environmental Plan 2010 (Amendment No. 65) which was published and came into force on 4 November 2022. 26 Elizabeth Street, Moss Vale is now a heritage item listed in Schedule 5 of the WLEP 2010 (item I1521).
NSW Government Gazettes are available for download and can be searched on the NSW Legislation website at https://legislation.nsw.gov.au/gazette.
The 2022/23 round of the Wingecarribee Heritage Assistance Grants will not be run due to staffing levels and prioritisation of other heritage projects. It is anticipated that the Grants will again open for applications in mid-2023 for the 2023/24 financial year. To register your interest and to be informed of the opening of the next round of funding, please send an email to heritage@wsc.nsw.gov.au.
To manage an application in progress, go to https://wingecarribee.smartygrants.com.au/ and use your SmartyGrant credentials to login to your account.
The Wingecarribee Heritage Assistance Grants scheme is run annually and is proudly funded by Wingecarribee Shire Council with funding from the NSW Government. This scheme offers small grants to owners of recognised heritage properties to undertake minor repairs, maintenance work and works to meet Building Code of Australia upgrades.
The grants, which are awarded on a dollar-for-dollar basis, are offered to non-government owners of:
- Heritage listed properties
- Properties within heritage conservation areas
- Properties identified as draft heritage items or within a draft heritage conservation area
- Properties identified as potential heritage items or that have been assessed as having heritage significance.
Priority for the allocation of funding assistance is generally given to:
- Heritage places requiring urgent maintenance;
- Heritage buildings in conservation areas;
- Heritage places with public access and visibility;
- Projects where owners are experiencing difficulties in funding works to a heritage standard;
- Projects for fire, access and services upgrades;
- Projects involving part of a heritage group or precinct;
- Aspects of heritage that have received little or no funding;
- Projects that set an example and encourage conservation of other heritage items;
- Projects that have not received recent funding support from Council.
Grant Application and Guidelines
Each Heritage Assistance Grants round corresponds with each financial year. The decision has been made to withdraw the 2022/23 grant round to focus on the Heritage Review. However, it is anticipated that the 2023/24 grants will go ahead. To enable prospective applicants to gauge their eligibility and commence preparation for an application, the guidelines from the 2021/22 grant round (which are similar year to year) are available to download below.
All applications for Wingecarribee Heritage Assistance Grants are made and submitted using an online portal called SmartyGrants. You will require a login to use this system. If you have used the SmartyGrants portal for an application previously (even if it was with a different organisation), the same login can be used. If you are using this portal for the first time you will need to create a login. For help using the SmartyGrants portal, consult the SmartyGrants Help Guide for Applicants available at https://applicanthelp.smartygrants.com.au/help-guide-for-applicants/.
Once you’ve created an application, you use the same login to manage the grant process, submit progress reports and, once the works are finished, acquit the grant. A link to the SmartyGrants portal is provided below.
The Heritage Assistance Grants Guidelines provide prospective applicants information about the scope, eligibility, priorities and selection criteria of the Heritage Assistance Grants scheme. The guidelines for the 2021/22 grant round are available for download below along with a preview of the application form which shows the information required for an application.
Guidelines for the Wingecarribee Heritage Assistance Grants 2021-2022(PDF, 253KB)
SmartyGrants Application Form Preview - Wingecarribee Heritage Assistance Grants 2021-2022(PDF, 171KB)
Wingecarribee SmartyGrants Portal
As part of the Australian Heritage Festival, Council biennially runs the Wingecarribee Heritage Awards with the assistance of the Wingecarribee Heritage Advisory Committee. In 2020 the categories were expanded to include an urban design category and have been subsequently renamed the Heritage & Urban Design Awards.
The 2020 Awards were interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic and have not been have been finalised. This programme is temporarily on hold due to staffing levels and prioritisation of other heritage projects.
The Heritage & Urban Design Awards program aims to recognise and celebrate projects, events and people who contribute positively to our understanding and appreciation of the heritage, history and urban design of the Southern Highlands. The Awards also serve to promote excellence in the design of new elements in a heritage or urban context, to encourage maintenance of heritage assets and heritage areas, and to recognise traditional craftsmanship.
Projects, properties and people can be nominated for a Heritage & Urban Design Award in one of 10 categories:
- Conservation of a Heritage Place (under $300,000 and over $300,000 sub-categories)
- Sympathetic Addition to a Heritage Place (under $300,000 and over $300,000 sub-categories)
- Creative Adaptation of a Heritage Place (under $300,000 and over $300,000 sub-categories)
- Excellent Urban Design
- Maintenance of a Heritage Place or Precinct
- Heritage Work by a Local or State Institution
- Heritage Trade
- Heritage Tourism Project or Initiative
- Achievement in Heritage by an Individual or Organisation.
- Contribution to an Understanding of Heritage in the Wingecarribee Shire.
Guidelines for the 2020 Awards may be downloaded below:
Heritage & Urban Design Awards 2020 Guidelines(PDF, 329KB)
The website of the Heritage Division of the Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) contains a wealth of heritage information including a list of all the heritage items in the State (State Heritage Inventory) and those that are listed as State heritage significant (State Heritage Register), directories of heritage consultants and heritage services, and a number of publications on heritage generally and specific aspects of heritage and conservation.
Links to these pages, and other useful heritage websites, are provided below: