The Queensland government passed a series of amendments to the Queensland Heritage Act 1992 (QHA) in 2007.  One of these amendments was the requirement that local governments keep a local heritage register.  Over the last three years, local governments have initiated local heritage studies to meet their obligation under the QHA.  In most cases, the studies are part of the wider consolidated planning scheme process required following the amalgamation of local governments in Queensland in 2008. 

Converge Heritage + Community has completed two local heritage studies for regional councils:

• A heritage, character and urban design study for the Rockhampton Regional Council (in conjunction with Tract Planning Consultants, completed in 2010).
• The Fraser Coast Regional Council local heritage study (completed in 2011). 

These projects required the development of a sophisticated heritage strategy that consisted of key milestones.  These milestones included:

Howard War Memorial

• A review of previous studies and detailed gap analysis;
• Compilation of a database of places of potential local heritage significance and character;
• Field work to ground truth places of potential local heritage significance;
• An assessment of the significance of identified places in a format that meets the requirements of the Queensland Heritage Act 1992 and best-practice frameworks such as the Burra Charter (1999);
• Liaison with key stakeholders, including the Department of Environment and Resource Management and local historical societies;
• Assistance with public consultation following notification to property owners of a council’s decision to enter a place on the local heritage register and advice relating to local heritage fact sheets;
• Provision of advice relating to the management of local heritage and character places within the current planning framework, which includes the draft Queensland Planning Provisions, Sustainable Planning Act 2009, Sustainable Planning Regulation 2009, Queensland Heritage Act 1992, and the Queensland Heritage Regulation 2003.

These studies were completed in relatively short timeframes and to a tight budget.  Click here to view the Fraser Coast Regional Council local heritage register.   

Converge Heritage + Community is currently working on local heritage studies for the following regional councils:

• The Whitsunday Regional Council local heritage study (nearing completion).
• The former Douglas Shire Council local heritage study (for Cairns Regional Council; nearing completion).
• The Gladstone Regional Council local heritage study (recently begun). 

Milestone, Hervey Bay to Maryborough

Original Maryborough Town Site