Our Local Government Area has many items of both local and State heritage significance, reflecting the rich indigenous and non-indigenous history of the region.
The townships of Queanbeyan, Braidwood and Bungendore in particular are representative of early settlement in the area, driven by opportunities for farming and then by the discovery of gold in the district. This history is particularly relevant when contrasted with the planned development of Canberra as the national capital during the 1900’s.
Local government is primarily responsible for managing local heritage items in NSW, mainly by the listing of these items in local planning controls (known as Local Environmental Plans or LEPs) under the Environmental Planning & Assessment Act 1979.
These plans contain schedules or lists of properties, buildings, places, etc considered to be of ‘local significance’. The lists or schedules are statutory lists meaning that the provisions or clauses in the plan relating to these lists can be legally enforced.
The aim of having such lists is to ensure the conservation of items which are considered to be significant to the local community, although the relative level of significance of each item may differ considerably.
Download the list of heritage items(PDF, 107KB)
Heritage items can also be of ‘state significance’ in which case they are listed on the NSW Heritage Register by the NSW Heritage Council under the Heritage Act 1977. This is also the case for the State listed conservation area that applies to Braidwood and its surrounds.
Link to NSW Heritage Office (OEH) - http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/topics/heritage
Minor Works to Heritage Item
Where proposed work is of a minor nature only, owners may request written authorisation(PDF, 128KB) to undertake minor works and/or maintenance to a heritage item or a place with a heritage conservation area without consent as provided for under Clause 5.10(3) of Council’s respective local environmental plans (see below). You can download the application for minor heritage works here(PDF, 128KB) .
Significant Works to Heritage
More significant work to heritage items, or buildings within a heritage conservation area, will require the consent of the Council before it can be undertaken. Applicants are encouraged to begin discussions about any proposed work with Council staff at the earliest instance.
Where useful, homeowners may request a free meeting with Council’s respective heritage advisors who can assist in ensuring any work is done in a manner that maintains any heritage values.
Clause 5.10 of Council’s respective LEPs sets out the provisions in respect of development involving heritage items or within heritage conservation areas.
View the heritage conservation information for the Queanbeyan LEP.
View the heritage conservation information for the Palerang LEP.
A planning certificate (also called zoning certificate) under section 10.7 of the Environment Planning and Assessment Act 1979 should be obtained to confirm the planning details (including zoning and heritage) applying to your property.
A planning certificate will state whether your property is a heritage item or within a conservation area.
You can apply for a planning certificate here. https://www.qprc.nsw.gov.au/Building-Development/Planning-Zoning/Planning-certificates
Heritage Advisory Service
Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council (QPRC) offers a free heritage advisory service to owners of heritage items or properties located within heritage conservation areas (jointly funded by the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage). This service is available on the second Thursday of the month for Braidwood and surrounding area and the third Thursday of each month for Queanbeyan and surrounding area.
Special Heritage Fund
The Special Heritage Fund has been suspended for the financial years 2021/2022 and 2022/2023.
Local Heritage Places Grants
In conjunction with the NSW Heritage Office, a Local Heritage Places Fund has been established by Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council. This provides grants for work on heritage properties including those listed in one of the applicable local environmental plans, or on the State Heritage Register as it applies to Braidwood, or to properties within a heritage conservation area in the Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council Local Government Area. The aim of the fund is to encourage and support as much positive work on heritage items as possible.
Funding is available for conservation works on heritage properties and places in the Queanbeyan-Palerang local government area by individual landholders and community groups who own or manage heritage items that are either:
- Listed as a Heritage Item in Councils respective LEPs;
- Included in a Heritage Conservation Area in Councils respective LEPs; or
- Supported by Council’s Heritage Advisors as being of heritage significance.
Applications for the 2022/2023 Local Heritage Grants are now closed and will open again in August 2023.
For more information regarding these grants please contact our Land-Use Planning Team on (02) 6285 6276 or email landuseadmin@qprc.nsw.gov.au.
The Benefits of Owning a Property Listed as an Item of Environmental Heritage
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 the NSW Office of Environment & Heritage and available here.
Have you recently renovated a heritage building in the Queanbeyan-Palerang area?
Nominations have now closed for the 2023 awards and will open in early 2024 for next years awards.
2022 Heritage Award winners
The winners of 2022 Local Heritage Award winners were announce at the Braidwood Museum on Saturday 30 April.
Heritage Awards Category 1 – Restoration of a heritage building – Commercial or Residential
- Winner - Joanna Nikolic, 4 Alice Street, Queanbeyan
- Highly commended - Jamie Raynolds and Bonnie Daniel for The Royal Hotel Braidwood
Heritage Award Category 2 – New building / Adaptation / Heritage Garden
- Winner - Douglas Taupin - for his garden at 71 Cameron Road, Queanbeyan
- Highly commended - Jeffrey Roy Burnell - for his garden at 5 Albert Street, Queanbeyan
Heritage Award Category 3 – Outstanding Promotion / Contribution to Heritage
- Winner - Create Collaborate Collection Inc for the exhibition Connee-Colleen - Queanbeyan Character
- Daniel Evans for his celebration of heritage-focused building work Tim Adams for his thesis including stories from Riverside Cemetery
- Katrina Blazey for her Instagram page coolqueanbeyan
2021 Heritage Award winners
The winners of the 2021 Local Heritage Awards were announced at Rusten House on Saturday 1 May.
Heritage Awards Category 1 – Restoration of a heritage building – Commercial or Residential
- Winner - 32 Kathleen Street, Queanbeyan
- Highly commended - 3 Surveyor Street, Queanbeyan
- Highly commended - 202 Wallace Street, Braidwood
- Highly commended - QPRC Staff Darryl Blyton and Andrew Vardai for work on Rusten House
- Highly commenced - James Dale for Randal Homes for his work on Rusten House
- Acknowledgement of work - 11 Meredith Street, Queanbeyan
Heritage Award Category 2 – New building / Adaptation / Heritage Garden
- Winner - 18 Thorpe Ave, Queanbeyan
- Highly commended - 1A Alice Street, Queanbeyan
Heritage Award Category 3 – Outstanding Promotion / Contribution to Heritage
- Karen Nelson - Book – 1st World War soldiers upon the Braidwood Monument – Highly Commended certificate
For further information regarding any of the heritage matters heritage above please contact our Land-Use Planning Team on (02) 6285 6276 or emailing landuseadmin@qprc.nsw.gov.au.