AHeritage Overlay orHO is one of a number ofplanning scheme overlays contained in theVictorian Planning Provisions, for use inplanning schemes inVictoria, Australia. The heritage overlay schedule of eachlocal government planning scheme lists sites of local and state significance (Victorian Heritage Register) but does not include sites on theAustralian National Heritage List.
The Heritage Overlay is used to protect sites that haveheritage value, meaning that individual buildings or whole urban precincts may be covered. The protection afforded by a Heritage Overlay varies in each instance, though the controls apply to built structures and their associated land. The minimum level of protection is afforded by the mere existence of the overlay and means that any work at all to the building or site will require aplanning permit, ensuring that a higher level of scrutiny automatically occurs, regardless of any specific control measures cited. Exemptions from permits can be achieved via a site specific exclusion or an incorporated plan listed in the schedule to the overlay.
Each planning scheme will have a set of maps which indicate the location of overlay controls. Associated with the maps is a schedule listing every individual overlay in that planning scheme according to the following criteria:
An easy to follow description of how to read a heritage overlay and the different related documents is found at theCity of Ballarat Website - What is a Heritage Overlay.
 | ThisVictoria (state) article is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |