Royal Exhibition Building & Carlton Gardens World Heritage site
On 1 July 2004 the Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, becoming the first built heritage site in Australia to be declared World Heritage.
The Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens site is also included in the National Heritage List and the Victorian Heritage Register.
World Heritage Environs Area Strategy Plan
Under the Heritage Act 1995, a World Heritage Environs Area Strategy Plan (‘Strategy Plan’) is required for the area surrounding the Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens.
The World Heritage Environs Area acts as a “buffer zone” for the Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens and assists in protecting and transmitting the World Heritage values of the site.
The Strategy Plan details the strategies to be employed to achieve the protection and transmission of the World Heritage values.
After an extensive public consultation and hearing process, the Minister for Planning – the Hon. Justin Madden MLC – approved a Strategy Plan for the World Heritage Environs Area on 21 October 2009.
The Strategy Plan was gazetted in the Government Gazette on 5 November 2009 and came in to operation on that date.
The approved Strategy Plan can be viewed here.
Please note: The Strategy Plan is a large document. If you have difficulty downloading the document, please contact us on 03 8644 8800 or heritage.victoria@dpcd.vic.gov.au.
In summary, the Strategy Plan proposes:
- Including the properties fronting the Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens in a new precinct-based Heritage Overlay in the Melbourne and Yarra Planning Schemes. Properties fronting the western part of Gertrude Street and the eastern part of Queensberry Street are also to be included in this precinct. Land in this precinct is considered to be the “area of greatest sensitivity”.
- Introducing a new local Heritage Policy in the Melbourne and Yarra Planning Schemes to provide specific guidance for development of land within the “area of greatest sensitivity”.
- Including properties on the northern side of Gertrude and Queensberry streets and the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons building within a Design and Development Overlay to protect views to the Royal Exhibition Building dome.
- Consequential changes to the Municipal Strategic Statements and the Local Planning Policies of the Melbourne and Yarra Planning Schemes.
World Heritage Environs Area Planning Scheme Amendments
Planning Scheme Amendments to implement the recommendations of the Strategy Plan in the Melbourne and Yarra Planning Schemes were gazetted on 18 November 2009.
Amendment C154 to the Melbourne Planning Scheme (in summary):
- introduces a new Local Heritage Policy into the planning scheme, which contains specific guidance for the development of land immediately surrounding the World Heritage Site;
- includes the 'World Heritage Environs Area Precinct' in the Heritage Overlay;
- amends the Design and Development Overlays applying to properties on the north side of Queensberry Street and the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons site on Spring Street; and
- makes consequential changes to the Municipal Strategic Statement and other Local Policies within the planning scheme.
Full details can be viewed on the Department of Planning and Community Development's website here.
Amendment C118 to the Yarra Planning Scheme (in summary):
- introduces a new Local Heritage Policy into the planning scheme, which contains specific guidance for the development of land immediately surrounding the World Heritage Site;
- includes the 'World Heritage Environs Area Precinct' in the Heritage Overlay;
- introduces a Design and Development Overlay over properties on the north side of Gertrude Street; and
- makes consequential changes to the Municipal Strategic Statement and other Local Policies within the planning scheme.
Full details can be viewed on the Department of Planning and Community Development's website here.
Go to the archive section for more information on the process, public consultation, draft plan and submissions to the World Heritage Environs Area Strategy Plan.