In short
Short answer: the Heritage Overlay (HO) is a Victorian planning overlay set out in clause 43.01 of the Victoria Planning Provisions and applied to land through each council's planning scheme. In the clause's own words, its first purpose is: “To conserve and enhance heritage places of natural or cultural significance”. (Department of Transport and Planning (Victoria), verified 27 Sep 2026)
An overlay sits on top of the land's zone and adds controls for one issue, whatever the zone is; a lot can carry several.
What it typically means for a buyer (Delora editorial, not legal advice): External changes, demolition and some other works typically need a heritage permit. How much is protected depends on the heritage citation for the place.
Check whether the Heritage Overlay applies to an address with Address Check. For a decision on a specific property, the official record is a Planning Property Report from VicPlan, and the council's schedule sets the local detail.
What the clause says
Clause 43.01 of the Victoria Planning Provisions (Heritage Overlay) states its purposes as: to conserve and enhance heritage places of natural or cultural significance; to conserve and enhance those elements which contribute to the significance of heritage places; to ensure that development does not adversely affect the significance of heritage places; and to conserve specified heritage places by allowing a use that would otherwise be prohibited if this will demonstrably assist with the conservation of the significance of the heritage place. (Department of Transport and Planning (Victoria), verified 27 Sep 2026)
Ask your conveyancer: What does the heritage citation say about this property, and is it contributory?
Shown on planning scheme maps as HO.
How much of Victoria this covers
From the 2899 sample suburbs Address Check's export has processed so far — a lower bound, not a statewide total, until the export runs statewide.
164,970 land parcels and 342,292 addresses in the sample so far.
Councils with the most coverage
- Yarra (19880 lots)
- Port Phillip (14455 lots)
- Boroondara (13998 lots)
- Melbourne (10222 lots)
- Ballarat (9942 lots)
- Stonnington (9096 lots)
Suburbs with the highest share
- Princes Hill — 100% of addresses checked (1126)
- Fitzroy — 98% of addresses checked (9024)
- Carlton North — 94% of addresses checked (3433)
- Albert Park — 92% of addresses checked (3481)
How it has changed since 2017
Vicmap Planning's published scheme history tracks where the Heritage Overlay has applied since 2017-07-30, recording when it was added to or removed from a parcel and the gazettal date where one is recorded. Address Check shows this timeline for any specific address — check below.