A proposed Planning Scheme Amendment C275gben to protect different types of miners’ cottages and houses that were built during Bendigo’s gold rush era has opened for public exhibition.
The proposed amendment is required to implement the recommendations of the Victorian Miners’ Housing Serial Listings – Stage 2 Study (Trethowan Architecture, November 2021) which would affect 156 properties across urban suburbs in Greater Bendigo.
The proposed amendment applies to the following housing types in urban Bendigo supported by a statement of significance:
• Early miners’ cottages
• Quartz gold boom miners’ houses
• Workers and mine speculators’ houses
• Quartz reefers’ houses
City of Greater Bendigo Acting Director Strategy and Growth Anthony Petherbridge said the aim of the amendment was to protect and enhance the history and heritage of Greater Bendigo for future generations and improve community awareness about the importance and value of heritage places.
“Many of the properties are clustered around former mining sites from the mid-1800s onwards and our heritage studies have revealed that some properties unique to Bendigo were not protected by existing heritage overlays,” Mr Petherbridge said.
“Heritage shapes our identity and connects us to our past, our city, and region and these proposed changes are designed to protect our early mining heritage through the Heritage Overlay in the Greater Bendigo Planning Scheme. It lists places that are locally significant either individually or collectively.
“With a growing population, it is important to balance the protection of our gold mine heritage with future growth and contemporary development that is sensitive to heritage values and elements.”
The Stage 2 Heritage Study assessed 229 properties and identified 156 properties that met the criteria for local heritage significance across Bendigo, Flora Hill, Golden Gully, Golden Square, Ironbark, Long Gully, North Bendigo, Quarry Hill, and West Bendigo.
The amendment proposes to:
• Apply the Heritage Overlay (HO100) to 59 properties associated with early miners’ cottages in Bendigo, Golden Gully, Golden Square, Ironbark, Long Gully, North Bendigo and Quarry Hill
• Apply the Heritage Overlay (HO1001) to 42 properties associated with quartz gold boom miners’ houses in Bendigo, Golden Square, Long Gully, and West Bendigo
• Apply the Heritage Overlay (H1002) to 49 properties associated with workers’ and mine speculators’ houses in Bendigo, Flora Hill, Golden Gully, Golden Square, Ironbark, Long Gully and Quarry Hill
• Apply the Heritage Overlay (HO1003) to six properties associated with quartz reefers’ houses in Quarry Hill, Long Gully, Golden Gully, and Golden Square
Under the proposed amendment, four properties will have existing Heritage Overlays deleted and replaced with a new Heritage Overlay that aligns with one of the four housing types. This is to better reflect their significance as miners’ houses. One property is also proposed to have an interim Heritage Overlay removed (H1004) and replaced with a permanent Heritage Overlay (as part of H1000).
The Neighbourhood Character Overlay would be deleted for 82 properties and be superseded by the proposed Heritage Overlay to protect the heritage sites.
The Heritage Overlay requires a permit to be granted for building and works, including demolition that could affect the significance of these precincts and individual properties.
The amendment is on public exhibition until Monday May 8. Submissions will be considered by the City, as the planning authority, and any unresolved matters will be referred to an independent planning panel appointed by the Minister for Planning. Submitters will be invited to present to the panel.
Submissions can be emailed to or posted to City of Greater Bendigo, Strategic Planning Department, PO Box 733, Bendigo VIC 3552.
If you have any questions on the proposed planning scheme amendment, please contact Strategic Planner Frank Casimir by calling 1300 002 642 or email
