New World Heritage Strategy Plan for Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens adopted

Minister for Planning Sonja Kilkenny has gazetted new heritage preservation plans for the Royal Exhibition Building, Carlton Gardens, and its surrounding buffer zone in a landmark endorsement for cultural heritage.

Developers within the full World Heritage Environs Area (WHEA) – the zone surrounding Carlton Gardens – will now need to adhere to mandatory height controls and be subject to the highest level of heritage planning laws in the world.

The news has been widely celebrated by heritage advocates who have been fighting for improvements to the area’s original World Heritage Strategy Plan (WHSP) adopted back in 2009, following declaration of a WHEA in 2007.

The Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens were inscribed in the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) World Heritage List on July 1, 2004.

Under heritage laws, the WHSP for the WHEA must be reviewed as a World Heritage listed place every seven years, with a new draft plan having been exhibited by Heritage Victoria’s executive director Steven Avery back in 2022.

In the face of what heritage advocates have called a “David and Goliath situation”, several submissions received from private landowners within the WHEA had sought a reduction of existing planning controls.

But in a welcome surprise last month after nearly two years since the Heritage Council of Victoria submitted the revised plan for approval, Minister for Planning Sonja Kilkenny signed off on its recommendation in full.

Among those who worked tirelessly in support of strengthening protections for the WHEA were the Royal Historical Society of Victoria, Friends of Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens, Protectors of Public Lands Victoria, the Australian Heritage Advocacy Alliance and the Walk in St Kilda Rd & Environs (WSKRE).

“This is an achievement for individuals and communities, for persistence in the face of opposition – it was certainly a David and Goliath situation – for valuing heritage and for a meaningful and significant, a more-than-just-liveable Melbourne,” WSKRE director and cultural heritage professional B McNicholas told Inner City News.

“Now, much we presented about, advocated for, for preservation and protection of the Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens, Melbourne’s only World Heritage listed place, has been gazetted.”

The WHEA surrounding the Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens is a “buffer zone” of around 55 hectares established to meet UNESCO operational guidelines that protect a World Heritage listed property.

The buffer zone is defined to the north by Faraday and Bell streets, in the east by Fitzroy St, and in the west by Drummond St.

The southern extent follows Victoria Parade to the west, then zigzags along Exhibition, Little Lonsdale and Albert streets before returning to Victoria Parade at its eastern extent.

The integrity of this zone is considered essential for preserving the World Heritage status of the Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens and has come under increasing threat in recent years from several high-rise developments.

Under current controls, the buffer zone was split into two sections in 2009 – one as “an area of greater sensitivity” with the other being more relaxed.

One of the most significant changes of the new plan is the removal of the section of “lesser sensitivity”, meaning the entire buffer zone is now considered of “greater sensitivity”.

Another reform sees Heritage Victoria’s executive director appointed as a referral authority for applications for buildings which exceed 11 metres in height, or additions to an existing building which increase building height to exceed 11 metres.

A range of other built form controls, changes to the statements of significance and protections from obtrusive lighting and signage have also been adopted.

The Royal Exhibition Building was constructed as a Great Hall, initially to house the Melbourne International Exhibition of 1880 and subsequently the 1888 Melbourne Centennial International Exhibition.

It stands as a significant and enduring symbol of the international exhibition movement and is a rare surviving example of the grand palaces of industry that were constructed worldwide during the 19th century. •

The revised WHSP was prepared by Hansen Partnership Pty Ltd in partnership with HLCD Pty Ltd for the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning.