Yarra Council has voted unanimously to seek heritage protection for a number of properties in Swan Street, Richmond and Johnston Street, Abbotsford.  

A Heritage Overlay is a planning mechanism that aims to protect and enhance heritage places. It means that a planning permit is required to subdivide land, demolish, build or alter a property that has heritage value.

Following this week’s decision, we are writing to the Minister for Planning to request that interim Heritage Overlays be applied to:

• 30–42 Swan Street, Richmond
• 273A Swan Street, Richmond
• 323–325 Swan Street, Richmond
• 223–239 Swan Street, Richmond
• 219–241 Johnston Street, Abbotsford
• 246–274 Johnston Street, Abbotsford

About two thirds of all properties in Yarra are covered by a Heritage Overlay, including residential, commercial, industrial and civic buildings. In fact, more properties are covered by a Heritage Overlay in Yarra than in any other municipality in Victoria.