State of the Environment Report 2007
Historic heritage places date from the time of European settlement in WA. They include buildings, structures and gardens which demonstrate physical characteristics or other associations with important events, developments or cultural phases in the State's history. Also included in historic heritage are maritime heritage (e.g. shipwrecks) and cultural landscapes. Cultural landscapes refer to places (e.g. townscapes) that illustrate how human society and settlements have evolved with the natural landscape. Historic heritage contributes to community cultural identity and 'sense of place'. The preservation of historic heritage places can enhance the amenity of towns and streetscapes, and provide economic benefits by encouraging tourism and increasing the financial value of properties.
The number and location of historic heritage places throughout WA reflects the pattern of European settlement, with most identified places in the developed parts of the South West (where the first European colonies were built in WA) and the Kalgoorlie area (a historic gold mining town) (Figure H3.1). The State Register of Heritage Places provides formal recognition and protection of significant historic heritage places. Between 2000-01 and 2005-06 the number of places in the State register increased from 808 to 1166 (or 44%), with an average of around 70 places being added each year (Table H3.1).
![Figure H3.1: Western Australian historic heritage places by local government area. [Data source: Heritage Council of Western Australia [ver. 2005]; Analysis: EPA; Presentation: EPA.]](/site/files/images/Figure-H3.1_Large.jpg)
The comprehensiveness of the State Register of Heritage Places is indicated by the extent to which different place types and the State's regions are represented. It is measured by comparing the content of the register with targets or benchmarks derived from the comprehensive statewide database of historic places. The database includes all places listed in local government inventories and other community-based lists such as the National Trust Classified List and other heritage surveys. Between 2000-01 and 2005-06, the comprehensiveness of the State register increased from 45% to 61%. On the whole, the State register is well-balanced; the only place types or regions which are significantly under-represented are residential buildings and the Wheatbelt region.
The comprehensiveness of local government inventories (also confined largely to historic heritage) is measured by the extent of their statewide coverage. One hundred and forty local governments have prepared inventories, which equates to 98% coverage. In 2006, there were over 17 000 listings in local government inventories (Table H3.1). There are a number of problems with listing at the local level including an increased potential for disagreement on listing criteria, inconsistent approaches between councils and issues arising from the application of planning provisions.
Cultural landscapes are not well-represented in the State register which contains only six landscape areas. This is largely because of the controversial nature of conserving significant cultural landscapes. As of November 2004 there were 103 cultural landscapes in the National Trust's Classified List, although this does not provide statutory recognition. The advantages and disadvantages of conservation of cultural landscapes need to be more widely debated in the community, as changing values and land uses make this a difficult area of heritage conservation.
The Western Australian Maritime Museum Shipwrecks Database contains all known shipwrecks on the WA coast including Commonwealth and State waters. There are currently 1432 shipwrecks listed in the database. Most of these are historic shipwrecks and therefore are protected under State or Federal legislation.
In 2004, a survey of the condition of some historic heritage places in the Commonwealth Register of the National Estate (Pearson & Marshall, 2004) was commissioned by the Commonwealth Department of Environment and Heritage. Survey results provide a surrogate measure of the condition of historic heritage places in WA. The proportion of WA's historic heritage places in good condition declined from 44% in 2001 to 32% in 2004, while the proportion of places in fair condition increased from 50% to 64%. The proportion of historic places in poor condition declined marginally from 6% to 4%. Some historic heritage places have also been destroyed. Between 2000 and 2005, 13 historic places in the State Register of Heritage Places were demolished. Four of these were located in the Perth central business district and were demolished as part of the Southern Suburbs Railway development.
The condition of heritage places in local government inventories and town planning scheme lists has not been measured. The frequency of demolition of local historic heritage places is comparatively higher than for the State register, but data on the precise number of local heritage demolitions is not available. There has also been no comprehensive assessment of the condition of the State's maritime heritage.
The main pressures for historic heritage are development (especially urban redevelopment), objections to heritage listings and the costs involved in achieving comprehensive listings and maintaining heritage places. The maintenance of historic heritage places is increasingly limited by declining public expenditure on historic heritage conservation together with rising costs of maintenance. There are also problems with the Heritage of Western Australia Act 1990, which provides the legal framework for historic heritage protection in WA. These mainly relate to the effectiveness of the Act in protecting historic heritage places. For example, the current legislation permits decisions about registration of places to be made on grounds other than their heritage significance; provisions for works approval to develop heritage listed places are weak; and penalties for non-compliance with the Act are extremely low.
Local governments have a major role in historic heritage conservation though the management of local strategic planning, involvement in the development assessment process, management of local government owned heritage properties and provision of support to private property owners in heritage conservation (Productivity Commission, 2006). However, local governments are often constrained in their capacity to adequately fund heritage conservation. Survey results indicate that Western Australian local governments spent just under 2% of revenue ($17 500 per $1 million in revenue) on historic heritage conservation in 2003-04 (Charlton & Betham, in prep).
Objections to proposed historic heritage listings are typically the result of development pressures and views about property rights from some sectors of the community. In principle, community support for historic heritage conservation is high, with a recent nationwide survey showing that 94% of Western Australian respondents believe it is important to protect heritage places even though they may not visit them and 91% believe it is important to keep historic heritage features wherever possible when improving towns and cities (Allen Consulting Group, 2005). In practice, there is less support for heritage listing of properties when they directly involve property owners: nearly 30% of proposed registrations for historic heritage listings on the State register are objected to by property owners. Contributing to this is the misconception that heritage protection is detrimental to property values and limits development potential. Community support for heritage is often influenced by the level and tone of media coverage of heritage issues. Historic heritage has been marked by considerable adverse publicity over the past few years, usually based on a property rights platform.
Development pressures are not easy to quantify for historic heritage, but they are significant and are increasing. In particular, historic heritage places often become subject to redevelopment proposals. The number of land development applications considered by the Heritage Council has increased each year over the past five years. Each year the Heritage Council considers about 700-800 referrals (M Betham, Heritage Council, pers. comm.). However, funds spent on referrals have been consistently decreasing. Conservation of historic heritage places is sometimes lost to development, as often, limited weight is given to heritage matters in planning decision making.
Registers of historic heritage: The State Register of Heritage Places formally recognises and protects places of historic heritage significance. The WA Maritime Museum Shipwrecks Database records maritime heritage places. Cultural landscapes are gaining more recognition in the National Trust of Australia (WA) Classified List, although this list does not formally protect cultural landscapes. Local government inventories are regularly reviewed by local governments and their comprehensiveness is progressively improved in accordance with common standards. However, heritage lists in town planning schemes are frequently incomplete and local governments are encouraged to address this when local town planning schemes are reviewed periodically.
Legislation and policy: The Heritage of Western Australia Act 1990 provides a mechanism for the control of unsympathetic development of places in the State Register of Heritage Places.
Planning: Local governments have an important role in the protection of historic heritage through Town Planning Schemes, updating registers and in the maintenance of historic heritage places. Often these aspects are not well understood, valued or adequately managed by local governments.
Grants: A number of grant programs support historic heritage conservation including the State Government Heritage Grants Program, the Lotterywest Heritage Program and local government heritage grants. In 2003-04, these totalled $2.7 million.
Education: A key objective of the Heritage Council of Western Australia is to promote awareness and understanding of the State's cultural heritage. The Council provides advice to the community on the processes of registration and development, and promotes awareness of the importance and value of heritage to the wider community. The National Trust of Australia (WA) has developed an enquiry-based education program that facilitates heritage education using National Trust properties as a resource.
Loss or degradation of historic heritage undermines the character and feel of WA's towns and cities. The loss of a single landmark building can considerably alter the qualities of a main street, while the incremental loss or deterioration of many historic heritage places over time can significantly affect urban amenity, community identity and sense of place. Appreciation of historical and cultural heritage is essential for the maintenance of heritage values and for passing on those values to future generations. However, the trend in historic heritage appreciation is not clear with conflicting messages coming from opinion surveys, support for historic heritage listings and the tone of media coverage on heritage issues. There has been significant negative publicity in recent years over specific listing issues, such as the proposed listing of residential properties in the Subiaco Municipal Inventory and the listing of the Empire Games Village in City Beach. Conversely, opinion surveys undertaken by the City of Subiaco and at the national heritage level indicate majority support for historic heritage protection.
8.8 Complete the State Register of Heritage Places.
8.9 Review the Heritage of Western Australia Act 1990 to improve the effectiveness of historic heritage protection by strengthening the registration process, works approval provisions, enforcement and penalties for non-compliance and incentive provisions.
8.10 Develop a comprehensive program of heritage incentives (especially planning-based incentives) to encourage the adaptive reuse or ongoing use of historic heritage places to prevent their decline.
