Draft Integrated Heritage Strategy and HCAs Review

The Draft Integrated Heritage Strategy is a 10 year strategy for managing all heritage matters that Council is responsible for including both physical elements such as historical buildings and places, to non-physical elements, such as cultural practices, stories and knowledge that is inherited over generations.  

The draft Strategy recognises all heritages including those of First Nations Peoples as well as other cultural groups, noting the City of Parramatta’s complex and varied histories and heritages. 

The draft Strategy sets out a clear vision for the City of Parramatta’s heritage and is supported by five guiding themes and eight key goals – these establish Council’s priorities for heritage management and promotion, supported by a range of actions that Council will undertake over the next 10 years. 

Click here to view the Strategy at a Glance 

Council’s varied roles relating to heritage management, include:

• Managing Council owned heritage propoerties
• Managing Council's heritage archives
• Identifying and listing heritage items and HCAs
• Assessing impacts on heritage during planning applications
• Ensuring First Nations people are involved in decisions relating to indigenous heritage
• Regulating and enforcing heritage legislation
• Supporting heritage owners through advice and grants
• Promoting and celebrating heritage through events, intepretation and tourism
• Advocating for best practice heritage management
• Seeking grants from State Government
• Ensuring our listings reflect our historic and emerging histories
• Ensuring the whole community has a say in heritage matters

The Draft Integrated Heritage Strategy vision, guiding themes and key goals can be viewed here - Strategy at a Glance  

The draft actions are outlined on pages 45-53 of the Draft Integrated Heritage Strategy and have been categorised into high, medium, low or ongoing priority, and assigned to different Council Directorates for completion. 

The Draft Integrated Heritage Strategy was developed through:

• Research into heritage management best practices and emerging trends
• Review of opportunities and challenges relating to heritage
• Consultation with the community (including feedback received during the Phase 1 Comprehensive Heritage Review Engagement)
• Feedback from key heritage stakeholders and internal staff
• Consideration of Council’s other key strategic documents, including the Community Strategic Plan, Parramatta 2050, First Nations Strategy 2024 – 2029, and Cultural Strategy (Creative Parramatta).  

Heritage Conservation Areas (HCAs) are areas of land, precincts, neighbourhoods or groups of properties and streets, which collectively have been recognised as having specific and significant historical value that should be protected.

Features which influence protection include patterns of subdivision, building style, landscaping and streetscape. They often provide evidence of a particular historical period of development and/or a distinct architectural style and generally have a high proportion of original buildings.

There are currently 15 HCAs that are listed and mapped in the Parramatta LEP 2023 as follows: 

Click on this link to search for your property address via interactive map. 

The Heritage Conservation Areas Review considered 14 of the 15 Heritage Conservation Areas (HCAs) identified in the Parramatta Local Environmental Plan 2023 (Parramatta LEP), excluding the Silverwater Prison Complex HCA. 

The key components of the review are outlined below, noting however that not every HCA was included in every part of the project scope. See the matrix or this Interactive Map outlining which HCAs were covered by each scope task.

A more detailed outline of the scope, including why some HCAs were not included in certain parts of the scope is provided here.  

A detailed summary of the key findings and recommendations of the review are provided here. 

The HCAs Review scope had regard to previous heritage studies and assessments undertaken, including those for HCAs in Epping (Wyralla Avenue, Epping/Eastwood, Boronia Avenue, East Epping, Essex Street and Rosebank Avenue HCAs); South Parramatta (South Parramatta HCA) and Granville (Tottenham Street HCA). These previous studies included similar work for those HCAs and consequently, it was not necessary to repeat certain tasks for all HCAs. 

A more detailed outline of the scope, including why some HCAs were not included in certain parts of the scope is provided here.  

The HCAs Review is divided into 3 volumes as outlined below: 

Yes, you can still develop your property if it is within a heritage conservation area, but most significant works require a development application (DA) and must be sympathetic to the area's character. A heritage impact statement is often required for any significant change.  

Minor works, such as painting in keeping with the area's colours or some internal renovations, may require a Heritage Minor Works application prior to any works commencing.  

The current and recommended heritage gradings of properties within HCA's is contained within Volume 2 - Section 2 of the City of Parramatta Heritage Conservation Areas Review. 

Alternatively you can search your property address via the Interactive Map. 

Contributory items are typically required to be retained, however neutral or detracting items may be considered appropriate for alterations or replacement development that is more sympathetic to the heritage significance of the conservation area. 

HCAs may also contain individually listed heritage items, which are important buildings that have heritage significance in their own right. Heritage items are usually also considered to be contributory items as they contribute toward the significance of the HCA. 

Classifying a property as a contributory item within a HCA does not necessarily prevent development but can affect development options by imposing stricter controls with a focus on retaining heritage significance and appearance, particularly as viewed from the street or public domain.

Any changes to a contributory item would be required to be supported by a Statement of Heritage Impact accompanying a development application. Generally, it is difficult to obtain consent to demolish a contributory item. 

Of the six (6) HCAs reviewed for boundary changes, amendments were recommended for four (4) HCAs, including minor boundary increases for the Harris Park West and Burnside Homes HCAs, and minor boundary reductions for the Sorrell Street and North Parramatta HCAs.  

No boundary changes are recommended for any other HCAs. 

For current and proposed boundary changes, refer to the Interactive Map. 

The Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy was introduced by the NSW Government and is part of the State Environmental Planning Policy (Housing) 2021, which seeks to increase more low and mid-rise housing options, such as dual occupancies, terraces, townhouses, low and midrise apartments and shop top housing within 800 metres of nominated centres and transport hubs. The Policy has been delivered in two stages as follows: 

All HCAs within City of Parramatta LGA zoned R2 Low Density Residential now permit dual occupancy development (except on individual heritage item listed properties). 

The following six (6) HCAs in the City of Parramatta are either wholly or partially located within a nominated Low and Mid-rise Housing Area and now permit terraces, townhouses and 2 storey apartments: 

• Epping / Eastwood HCA 

• Wyralla Avenue HCA 

• Boronia Avenue HCA 

• Rosebank Avenue HCA 

• East Epping HCA 

• Essex Street HCA 

Link to Low-Mid Rise Housing Reference Map  

No other HCAs are located within a nominated Low and Mid-rise Housing Area. 

You can learn more about the Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy on the NSW Government Planning website at: Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy | Planning 

It is important to include DCP controls for Low and Mid-Rise Housing to minimise the impacts of these types of development on the heritage significance of relevant HCAs. 

Potential impacts might include applications for:

• the demolition of existing buildings that contribute to the character of the HCA,
• lot amalgamation, removal of trees and landscaping elements, or
• construction of new development that is inconsistent with the character and significance of the HCA.

To manage these potential impacts, specific recommendations are made in the HCAs Review to address low and mid-rise housing developments in HCAs. 

The provisions of HCAs including objectives and controls have been in place for a lengthy period and there is a need for review ensure that they are appropriate, represent best practice, and respond to relevant heritage conditions.  

The All Saints Cemetery and the houses on Short Street in North Parramatta are recommended as a potential new heritage conservation area because of their historical importance and aesthetic and representative values.

The area shows how North Parramatta developed from the early 1800s, with the street layout from the 1830s and housing from the 1870s.

The cemetery and most houses are already recognised as local heritage items. The grouping of 19th and early 20th century housing, and their strong visual and spatial relationship to the cemetery, support their inclusion as a new Heritage Conservation Area. 

The recommended All Saints HCA would likely have minimal impact on most properties within its proposed boundaries as many of these properties are already listed as heritage items under the Parramatta LEP 2023 and also form part of a Special Character Area identified in the Parramatta Development Control Plan 2023. As such, these properties are already subject to heritage conservation controls.

However, for the small number of properties that are not currently listed as heritage items, there will be additional requirements to ensure the heritage qualities of the new HCA (if established) will be conserved.

The Kingsdene Estate area located north of Pennant Hills Road between Bettington Road and the Cumberland High School site was investigated following community feedback highlighting the historical significance of the Kingsdene Estate as part of Sydney's suburban expansion - being a master-planned residential subdivision in Carlingford which began in the early 1960s.

A key feature of the estate was the Carlingford Homes Fair site featuring exhibition homes from prominent architects of the time, including Neville Gruzman, Ken Woolley, Michael Dysart, Harry Seidler, and Gerry Rippon.

The area investigated as the potential Kingsdene Estate Heritage Conservation Area included four areas which were constructed as former demonstration/exhibition villages during the 1960s, including within Tudor Place, Felton Road, Balmoral Place, Westminster Avenue, Pennant Hills Road, Snowdon Avenue, Empire Court and Edinburgh Avenue. 

Following completion of their investigation, the heritage consultants have recommended this area not progress as a Heritage Conservation Area.

The significance of the area is primarily associated with the surviving display homes, both individually and as part of a group. Of the original approximate 43 exhibition dwellings, only about half remain.

As such due to a low proportion of intact dwellings and inconsistent street cohesion, a HCA is not recommended.

Heritage items consist of buildings, places, objects and landscapes, including houses, public and commercial buildings, parks and monuments that the City of Parramatta community has inherited from the past and wishes to protect for future generations. Heritage items are listed in Schedule 5 Environmental Heritage of the Parramatta LEP 2023.  

The Parramatta LEP 2023 includes approximately 700 heritage items of local significance, many of which show the evolution of Parramatta’s history including a large collection of 19th century and early 20th century houses. Also included in Parramatta LEP 2023 are approximately 40 heritage items of State Heritage significance. 

While undertaking fieldwork to review property gradings, some properties were identified as being worthy of further investigation for potential heritage item listing as part of Council's future Heritage Items Review study to be undertaken in the future.

Reasons for potential listing might be for example because the property/building is a good example of a particular architectural period. 

A heritage inventory form is the record of information that supports and justifies the listing of a heritage item or a heritage conservation area (HCA).  

Heritage inventory forms describe the item or HCA and identify heritage significance. This includes the item or HCA name, address, physical description, statement of significance, historical notes and an assessment in line the NSW Heritage significance criteria together with current (and past) photographs. 

These inventory forms provide important information that can be later referenced by land owners, Council and other government agencies.