Heritage Properties
Council encourages the preservation of Townsville's uniquely Australian tropical character, and recognises that this is critically linked to the maintenance of its older heritage buildings.
Owning a cultural heritage listed property
You can find out whether your property is heritage listed in Schedule 7 Places of heritage value in the Townsville City Plan. To help with the preservation of Townsville's heritage properties, Council has produced the Heritage and Character Housing Information Guide. This guide covers:
- conserving the Townsville house
- tracing the history of your house
- alterations and additions to your house
- fences, gardens and verandahs.
Working on a cultural heritage listed property
If your property is listed in Schedule 7, it means you will have to comply with the Cultural heritage overlay code (part 8.2.4 of the Townsville City Plan) and the Cultural heritage planning scheme policy (Schedule 6.3 of the Townsville City Plan). If you are planning to undertake building work on your heritage property. the works may trigger a development application to Council. Depending on the works being proposed, the development application could be code or impact assessable. If you are unsure about whether your works will need Council approval, please contact Council.
Heritage programs
Council conducts a series of programs which aim to enrich the character of Townsville and the lives of its residents.
- Architectural Advisory Service: To encourage and assist building owners to restore and undertake sympathetic alterations to historic buildings, Council has established an architectural advisory service, which is administered through the Land Use and Urban Design Unit and the Heritage Officer.
- Funding Options: There options to apply for funding related to the preservation of heritage places. These programs aim to:
- develop conservation strategies for places of significance
- undertake conservation work to significant places
- undertake research projects to enlarge the body of knowledge about particular topics of Townsville's history, and publish these results
- undertake the conservation of artefacts held in a public collection.
Access our Grants and Partnerships page to find out more.
For more information, please contact Council.
Local Exemption Certificates
Local exemption certificates allow the owners of heritage properties to apply for upfront approval from Council on specific types of development. Exemption certificates will only be issued to development that will have only a minor detrimental effect to the property. You can apply for an exemption certificate online or by submitting an Exemption certificate application form.
For more information, read Council's Local Exemption Certificates information sheet.
Adding or removing a property from Schedule 7
If a building is deemed to have cultural heritage significance, it can be considered for addition to Schedule 7 Places of cultural heritage value. Likewise, a building can also be removed from Schedule 7 if it can be shown that the building no longer has significant cultural value. Council has prepared the following information sheets to assist property owners who are interested in adding or removing their property from Schedule 7:
- Adding a property to Schedule 7 (PDF, 597.5 KB)
- Removing a property from Schedule 7 (PDF, 591.6 KB)
Nominate to add or remove a place from Schedule 7 with this form. You will need to attach the supplementary information required by the Cultural heritage planning scheme policy SC6.3.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are properties listed in Schedule 7 in Townsville City Plan?
Properties listed in Schedule 7 Places of cultural heritage value in Townsville City Plan represent the city's unique places of cultural heritage. Listing them helps us to manage and protect Townsville's cultural heritage, and preserve them for future generations.
Most of Townsville's heritage properties were identified in an Urban Conservation Study conducted in 1993. Property owners and the community were encouraged to nominate places of cultural heritage significance. An assessment was then undertaken to determine which sites were culturally significant. Schedule 7 Places of cultural heritage value in the Townsville City Plan is based on this assessment.
Are there other heritage registers operating in Townsville?
There are four other heritage registers applicable to Townsville. These are:
Queensland Heritage Register
The Queensland Heritage Register is a list of places of cultural heritage significance within Queensland. The register is maintained by the Queensland Government.
National Trust Register
The National Trust Register is a list of places identified by the National Trust of Australia. This register is compiled and managed by the state branches of the National Trust.
Register of National Estate
The Register of National Estate (archive) is a national inventory of places of natural, historic and indigenous heritage significance. It is no longer an active register or statutory list. However, the list is maintained as a public archive and educational resource.
Commonwealth Heritage List
The Commonwealth Heritage List comprises of natural, indigenous and historic heritage places on Commonwealth lands and waters or under Australian Government control.
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What does it mean for a property to be heritage listed?
Properties listed in Schedule 7 Places of cultural heritage value in the Townsville City Plan, are subject to the Cultural heritage overlay code and the Cultural heritage planning scheme policy.
The purpose of the Cultural heritage overlay code is to ensure:
- the cultural heritage of Townsville continues to be a major contributor to the identity of the city and local communities;
- the cultural heritage of Townsville is conserved for present and future communities;
- development is consistent with the Burra Charter;
- new development reflects and respects cultural heritage significance; and
- places of cultural heritage significance are appropriately re-used.
The Cultural heritage overlay code and Cultural heritage planning scheme policy apply to all properties listed in Schedule 7 Places of cultural heritage value in the Townsville City Plan, or adjoining to a property identified in Schedule 7. ‘Adjoining’ in this context refers to properties that share a boundary with a listed heritage property.
Am I restricted in what sort of work I can do to a heritage listed property?
The Cultural heritage overlay code and Cultural heritage planning scheme policy has been put in place to ensure that changes to heritage places are managed effectively. This does not mean that no work at all can be carried out, only that the work needs to ensure that it does not have a detrimental impact on the heritage significance of a place. For more information, please refer to the Cultural heritage overlay code and Cultural heritage planning scheme policy in the Townsville City Plan.
Do I need special approvals for work which triggers the CHO Code?
If the proposed development triggers the Cultural heritage overlay code, then development approval must be sought.
If my property is listed on Schedule 7, am I expected to restore my building?
No. The Cultural heritage overlay code cannot force an owner to restore or maintain their property.
However, Council does offer incentives such as free architectural advice to owners or adjoining owners of properties listed on Schedule 7 Places of cultural heritage value in the Townsville City Plan who are interested in renovating or restoring their property. This widely-used service assists owners in designing sympathetic alterations and additions.
What services does the Council offer to owners of heritage listed properties?
To support owners of heritage properties, Townsville City Council provides the following services and incentives:
- access to the Council's Heritage Officers
- free Heritage Information Kits
- free Architectural Advice for property owners on or adjacent to a Heritage listed property.
- free community Heritage Day.
How can I find out if a property is heritage listed?
Schedule 7 Places of cultural heritage value in the Townsville City Plan is accessible online and identifies all properties that are heritage listed. The Cultural heritage overlay code and map also identifies properties that are heritage listed and properties that adjoin a heritage listed property. The overlay and mapping can also be accessed via the eplanning portal.
