Individual projects will only be funded by one of the following funds. Please review the following eligibility criteria before making your application.
Melbourne Heritage Restoration Fund
Eligible places: Owners of commercial, residential, community (non-profit) properties are all eligible to apply if they are located within a Heritage Overlay (either individually significant or contributory to a precinct).
To be eligible for funding assistance from the MHRF, proposed restoration works must:
- Apply to a place within a heritage overlay in the City of Melbourne;
- Enhance building elements of identified heritage significance and improve the overall appearance of the building;
- Enhance the original or early appearance and the overall improvement of the place;
- Involve works that are visible from the public realm;
- Provide evidence that the work is of a reconstructive nature or restorative nature (this can be established through early buildings plans, photographs and drawings);
- Reconstruct only original features; and
- Be put forward by the property owner or a commercial lessee who has the written consent from the owner and whose term of lease is longer than any completion deadline or loan repayment period.
What the MHRF does not fund:
- Any place within an interim Heritage Overlay
- Anything under a repair or enforcement order from the City of Melbourne
- Council owned properties
- Works that are not visible form the public realm
- Works already commenced or completed
- Speculative reconstruction works where there is no evidence of early appearance
- Development works – such as extensions (even when visible from the public realm)
- Works to interiors
- Painting – except when forming part of larger restoration works
- Maintenance and structural repairs – such as new guttering/down-pipes, general timber repairs, re-stumping
Yarra Heritage Restoration Fund
To be eligible for funding assistance from Yarra Heritage Restoration Fund, proposed restoration works must:
- apply to a place of identified historical significance as protected under a heritage overlay in the City of Yarra, only if sufficient funds are available;
- enhance the original or early appearance and the overall improvement of the place;
- involve works that are visible from a public place;
- provide evidence that the work is of a reconstructive or restorative nature (this can be established through early building plans, photographs and drawings or through evidence on the place);
- reconstruct only original features;
- be located in a prominent public domain; and
- be put forward by the property owner or a lessee who has the written consent from the owner and who’s term of lease is longer than any completion deadline or loan repayment period.
Works not eligible for funding assistance includes:
- works to Council owned properties;
- works to interiors;
- works to areas of the place that are not publicly visible;
- works required due to a repair order issued by the City of Yarra;
- works required under a condition of a permit issued by the Executive Director under the Heritage Act 1995;
- routine repairs and general maintenance (for example, roof plumbing, restumping and repainting);
- works already commenced;
- painting
- new additions or extensions (unless the reconstruction is of an original element); and
- speculative reconstruction works where there is no evidence of the early appearance of the place.
Activity Centre Heritage Facade Conservation Grants
Ballarat Heritage Restoration Fund
To be eligible for funding assistance from the Ballarat Heritage Restoration Fund, proposed restoration works must:
- apply to a place of identified historical significance as protected under a heritage overlay in the City of Ballarat, and must;
- conserve the overall significance of the place;
- involve works that are visible from a public place, focus should be given to the external envelope;
- provide evidence that the work is of a reconstructive or restorative nature (this can be established through building plans, photographs and drawings or through evidence on the place);
- be put forward by the property owner or a lessee who has the written consent from the owner and who’s term of lease is longer than any completion deadline or loan repayment period.
Works ineligible for funding assistance include:
- works to Council owned properties;
- works to interiors;
- works to areas of the place that are not publicly visible, exceptions may be given by the discretion of VHRF;
- works required due to a repair order issued by the City of Ballarat;
- repair and maintenance works (for example, roof plumbing, re-stumping and repainting). These works may be considered for funding where the works form part of the larger scope of works to conserve the significance of the place;
- works already commenced;
- new additions or extensions;
- speculative reconstruction works where there is no evidence of the earlier appearance of the place; and,
- works proposed by applicants who have an outstanding loan or grant with the City of Ballarat.
Casey Heritage Restoration Fund
To be eligible for funding assistance from the VHRF, the project:
- must apply to a heritage place protected under the Heritage Overlay (Schedule to Clause 43.01) of the Casey Planning Scheme;
- must be for either:
a) Conservation works (including reinstatement of original heritage features, re-roofing, verandah works, re-pointing, addressing structural and rising damp issues); and/or
b) Professional advice and documentation (including drawings, conservation specialist advice, engineering advice and schedules of works);
- must be put forward by the owner of the heritage place, or the lessee/manager of the heritage place with the owner’s written consent and who’s lease/management term is longer than any completion deadline;
- must have a Planning Permit or Planning Permit Exemption issued by the Casey City Council before works can commence;
A project is ineligible for funding assistance from the VHRF for reasons including:
- Works to Council owned properties.
- must not be for additions or extensions to a heritage place;
- should not have commenced nor been completed
- The proposed works solely involve: speculative reconstruction where there is no historical evidence of the earlier appearance of the heritage place.
- tree removal and/or tree lopping.
- Repair and maintenance works (ie. roof plumbing, re-stumping and repainting
- General maintenance.
- Works occurring within the scope of a broader renovation to a residential building, including additions or extensions.
- Works required due to a repair order issued by the Case City Council
Greater Bendigo Heritage Restoration Fund
To be eligible for funding assistance from the Greater Bendigo Heritage Restoration Fund the project must apply to a heritage place of identified historical significance under the Heritage Overlay of the City of Greater Bendigo, and must:
- conserve the overall significance of the place
- involve works that are visible from a public place, and focus should be given to the external envelope
- provide evidence that the work is of a reconstructive or restorative nature (this can be established through building plans, photographs and drawings or through evidence on the place). An exception might be where works are conducted to meet building accessibility regulations only (such as sympathetic external access works to public buildings that have already obtained a permit from Council)
- be put forward by the property owner or a lessee who has the written consent from the owner and a remaining term of lease longer than any completion deadline
- not be for additions or extensions to a heritage place
- have a Planning permit or planning permit exemption issued by the City of Greater Bendigobefore works can commence
- not have commenced nor been completed
- not be for works required due to a repair order issued by the City of Greater Bendigo
Merri-bek Heritage Restoration Fund
To be eligible for funding assistance from the Merri-bek Heritage Restoration Fund the project:
- must apply to a heritage place of identified historical significance under the Heritage Overlay of the Merri-bek City Council
- Enhance the original or early appearance and overall improvement of the place.
- involve works that are visible from the public realm, focus should be given to the external envelope.
- provide evidence that the work is of a reconstructive or restorative nature (this can be established through building plans, photographs and drawings or through evidence on the place) except in cases where works are conducted to meet building accessibility regulations only (such as sympathetic external access works to public buildings that have already obtained a permit from Council).
- be put forward by the property owner or a lessee who has the written consent from the owner and a remaining term of lease longer than any completion deadline.
Works ineligible for funding assistance include:
- Works to Council owned properties
- works to interiors (unless considered a publicly accessible place and of public benefit);
- works required due to a repair order issued by the Merri-bek City Council, (unless it is considered the owner is not at fault);
- repair and maintenance works (for example, roof plumbing, re-stumping and repainting). These works may be considered for funding where the works form part of the larger scope of works to conserve the significance of the place;
- works already commenced or completed, new additions or extensions;
- works occurring within the scope of a broader renovation to a residential building (including additions or extensions);
- speculative reconstruction works where there is no evidence of the earlier appearance of the place;
- works proposed by applicants who have an outstanding grant or loan with the Merri-bek City Council.
