New future for region’s heritage shaped by community

A planning scheme amendment has been adopted by council to give the community greater certainty that the region’s significant cultural heritage values will be protected.

Informed by extensive community consultation and research by expert historians, the amendment identifies special places to allow the region’s heritage to be preserved and appreciated by current and future generations.

The amendment is the final piece in a lengthy process that will provide a detailed history of each of these special places, explaining their origins and why they are significant.

When considered as a whole, the amendment is one of the most important documents prepared on Sunshine Coast history.

The planning scheme amendment identifies an updated and consolidated list of local heritage places and character areas across the Sunshine Coast, while removing some outdated existing local heritage place listings from the planning scheme.

The amendment also includes updated standards for new development that relates to a heritage place or character area.

Heritage Portfolio Councillor Rick Baberowski said there were now 231 local heritage places identified in the planning scheme and thanked the many people and organisations who had made more than 385 submissions during the community consultation period for the proposed amendment.

“These submissions provided vital insight into the best ways to protect and manage our local heritage places and character areas across the Sunshine Coast,” Cr Baberowski said

“The amendment modernises heritage protection on the Sunshine Coast, by including more places that represent post-World War II heritage, coastal urban settings and leading contemporary architecture.

“This is particularly important given much of the region’s development has occurred in the last 70 years.

“The amendment will help to ensure the protection of iconic Sunshine Coast buildings, like the Maroochy River Boathouse Jetties on Bradman Avenue as well as some of the earliest and best examples of the high rise apartment towers that marked the beginning of the Sunshine Coast’s emergence as a coastal tourism hub.

“Another outstanding example of how this amendment provides broader and better protection for our historic post-contact cultural heritage is the new identification of a South Sea Islander stone wall and dwellings site in Buderim.

“This listing acknowledges the important contribution of South Sea Islanders to the development of our region and how they have helped shape a healthy, smart and creative Sunshine Coast.

“I encourage residents and heritage enthusiasts to view in full the amended local heritage register on council’s website.”

The historic cultural heritage planning scheme amendment was subject to public consultation from August 19 to September 16, 2019 and its adoption into the Sunshine Coast Planning Scheme 2014 will commence on August 24, 2020.

Summary of property related changes

  • 231 local heritage places
  • 14 character areas

For a full list and more information on Sunshine Coast Heritage visit https://heritage.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/Places/Heritage-Listed-Properties

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