Representative Buildings Review Code Amendment

The Code (Planning and Design Code) is the State’s key development assessment planning document. It was introduced in March 2021 to replace Council Development Plans. A Code Amendment is the process to change policy within the Code with approval from the Minister for Planning. It includes details and findings of the investigations and consultations that were undertaken.

An in-house review of the new Planning and Design Code showed a gap or anomaly in identifying Representative Buildings within City of Prospect, with six Historic Areas (Fitzroy Terrace, Clifton Street, Little Adelaide, Whinham Street, Flora Terrace & Martin Avenue) with widespread identification and five Historic Areas (North Ovingham, Prospect Lanes, Highbury, Ballville/Gloucester & Medindie Gardens) with no identification.

This situation is a product of timing and evolving decision making, with the later five Historic Areas authorised just prior to the introduction of the Code and where Representative Buildings (even if previously identified) did not get recognised in the planning system. A change of direction to now recognise these buildings has subsequently left holes (areas without Representative Buildings) within the City of Prospect. A Code Amendment is the tool now required to be used to recognise Representative Buildings throughout Historic Areas.

Furthermore, City of Prospect promotes historic protection of its built form as outlined in Prospect’s Strategic Community Plan 2023-2027 through preserving and enhancing Prospect’s identity, history and sense of community and has developed a priority action to undertake a Code Amendment to recognise Representative Buildings throughout Historic Areas.

A Representative Building is a building which displays characteristics of importance to a particular area that has been captured within the relevant Historic Area Statement (within the Planning and Design Code).

Heritage protection under the Planning and Design Code includes a suite of protective measures, including local heritage places, historic areas and the identification of other places that do not meet the stringent criteria of heritage places, but contribute to the valued local historical character, such as Representative Buildings.

Representative Building identification does not mean that there is any new heritage protection being proposed. Instead, for buildings which display characteristics of importance to a particular area it provides an easier to understand historic framework with clear and transparent identification from items being mapped in the South Australian Planning and Property Atlas. The identification of representative buildings in a particular area is not intended to imply that other buildings in an historic area are not of importance.

It is the Historic Area Overlay (or Heritage Place) that provides the protection from demolition and supported by Historical Area Statements (refer to adjacent graphic and text as highlighted). Demolition within Historic Areas will be assessed against the building’s historic characteristics and whether the proposal is reasonable. Having the housing identified as a Representative Building will provide more certainty to decision makers that the desired historical values are applicable.

Representative Buildings can also be identified in a Character Area Overlay, however there is no demolition control requirements that apply in this situation. Note here that this Code Amendment only applies to Historic Areas and not Character Areas.

No additional policy requirements apply to a Representative Building.