11.0 New services
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Installing new services and technologies in heritage places may increase opportunities for the ongoing use of the place. Updating services and facilities can be challenging but in many cases it is possible to find a solution with minimal impact on the heritage values of a place.
For places that have been assessed against criterion (c) – potential to yield information - or there are known significant archaeological values, the Heritage Council may require the preparation of a Statement of Historical Archaeological Potential to ensure impacts to significant archaeological values are considered.
11.1 New Services (generally)
Installating new services where the work clearly does not result in either a physical or visual impact on the significant character, fabric or spaces of a place.
Installating plant and equipment in roof spaces or under floors where this work can occur without disturbance of significant fabric.
Replacing electrical cabling, fuses and meters where original or early switches, power points and light fittings are retained.
New wiring and fittings that are unobtrusive to the heritage fabric and character of the place, where the fixings will not damage significant heritage fabric.
New meter (with or without box/cover) placed in a discreet location and concealed from public view.
Installing pipes or cabling within existing floor/wall penetrations and cavities.
New pipes or cables that enter the building at the lowest possible level and through a mortar joining rather than through heritage fabric.
Excavating existing service trenches to install new pipes or cabling.
Trenching for pipes or cables that does not affect significant archaeological values. | Installing modern services, plant and equipment where the work will result in either a physical or visual impact on the significant character, fabric or spaces of a place.
Appropriate outcomes:
Install new services with the least intrusion or impact on the significance of a place and its important features. Where possible, changes should be designed to be reversible.
Avoid or minimise visual impacts by locating new services in areas that do not detract from the public presentation of a place.
With masonry buildings, any fixings into the external walls should be with noncorrosive materials and into the mortar joints rather than the face of the stone or brick units. Penetrations for cables or pipes should also be through mortar joints where possible.
Site operating equipment away from significant fabric to avoid damage from vibration, condensation, airflow etc. |
11.2 Fire safety
| Installing smoke detectors in discreet locations in a manner that has minimal impact on significant fabric.
Installing a largely wireless system, where installation involves only one hard wired element (ie: the control panel).
Applying fire-resistant paint on previously painted surfaces, except where the existing painted surface is of intrinsic value to original decorative work.
Installing fire safety signage that has no impact on significant fabric and the character of significant interiors.
Note: For significant interiors, such as the interior of churches, an application may be required. | Installing equipment or devices where the work will result in either a physical or visual impact on the significant character, fabric or spaces of a place.
Appropriate outcomes:
Impact should be minimised where possible.
Note: Works required for compliance with fire safety provisions of the Building Code of Australia are supported where significant fabric is not adversely impacted. Where impacts on significant fabric cannot be avoided the building surveyor may vary the Building Code requirements, if appropriate, or accept an alternative solution to the requirements. The minimum works required to achieve statutory obligations should be explored to limit impact on heritage values. |
11.3 Heating and cooling services
Installing external units and conduits:
- in a discreet manner which does not impact on the heritage significance of the place, including setting, streetscape and views to or from the place; and
- where heat pumps installed against sandstone or porous brickwork are shielded from the airflow generated by the condenser unit (so as to minimise evaporation and the potential to accelerate salt damage from rising damp).
Mechanical upgrading and/or maintenance of an existing heating and cooling service.
Installing new radiant heaters with no impact to heritage significance.
Installing new wall or ceiling mounted units in domestic interiors where these do not adversely impact on significant fabric.
Floor heating involving discreet placement of grilles in timber floors.
Installing under floor heating where there is minimal disturbance of original floor material and any lifted material will be re-laid upon completion of installation, with no apparent change to form, detail or material. | Installing external units and conduits where there is an impact on heritage significance.
Appropriate outcomes:
Position heat pumps and air conditioners where they have minimal visual impact and where they can be easily accessed and maintained. This can be achieved by locating them at ground or roof level.
Avoid positioning units above shopfront awnings or in windows.
Avoid the use of multiple heat condenser units, particularly if they are publicly visible. Multiple condensers should not be located on front elevations of heritage places as it can result in a negative visual impact.
Avoid mounting external heat pump condensers next to sandstone walls or porous brick work. Such placement can accelerate salt damage from rising damp.
Fit internal elements carefully to minimise heritage impacts. Using dropped ceilings to hide equipment should be avoided as it impacts on the proportion of rooms and the concealment of details such as cornices, ceiling roses and so on. Where wall construction allows, locate cabling within wall cavities. Intake grills should be carefully located and designed to minimise impacts. |
Installing ducted systems that require demolition of masonry footings or removal/replacement of flooring.
Appropriate outcomes:
Demolition or removal of fabric should be minimised as far as practicable.
See section '11.1 New services (generally') for further appropriate outcomes. |
11.4 Satellite dishes, antennas and aerials
Installing an antenna or aerial in a non-prominent and unobtrusive position, which does not impact on the setting, streetscape, or views to or from the heritage place.
Installing a satellite dish in a non-prominent and unobtrusive position, which does not impact on fabric, setting, streetscape character, or views to or from the heritage place. | Installing antenna, aerial or satellite dishes where there is an impact on a place’s significance.
Appropriate outcomes:
Position satellite dishes and antennae to avoid visual impacts. They should not be visible from the principal views of a place.
To minimise the visual impact, run cabling beneath the eaves and through wall cavities, rather than running along the surface of external walls.
Avoid damage to skirtings, architraves or ornate cornices. |
11.5 Rainwater tanks
Installing rainwater tanks of an appropriate size, location and colour and where there is no change to significant fabric or setting, significant archaeological values, trees and plantings and views to and from the place.
Note: Water tanks are a feature of many historic properties, particularly in the rural environment where the use of tanks may be considered a traditional element. The scale, colour and materials of the tank and their potential heritage impact should be considered. For rural and regional properties there may be more opportunities for placement, scale and materials.
See also section '2.7 Water tanks and stock troughs'. | Installing of water tanks where the work will result in either a physical or visual impact on the significant character or spaces of a place.
Appropriate outcomes:
Locating tanks towards the rear or side of the building to reduce their visual impact. Bladder and underground systems may be another option.
Locating corrugated iron tanks on wooden stands located away from principal elevations will generally have an acceptably low impact. Plastic and fibreglass tanks may have a greater visual impact on the significance of the place due to their colour and texture. Screening of such tanks may be required.
See also section'2 Rural Activities' for further appropriate outcomes. |
11.6 Solar panels
| Installing solar panels aligned with the plane of the roof and located on a roof plane not visible from public areas. | Installing solar panels where they may be visible from public areas or have an impact on significance.
Appropriate outcomes:
Locating solar devices to avoid visual impacts resulting from their location, scale, form, colours and reflectivity. Devices should not intrude on the principal views of a place.
Installing or locating free-standing collectors, or locating these devices on structures of lesser heritage significance, such as garages, carports or pergolas.
Avoiding the use of stands to fix solar collectors or solar hot water systems onto heritage roofs.
For solar hot water systems, the tank can be installed inside the roof space or in another location which reduces the visual impact of the installation. Internal spaces may have the added benefit of reducing heat loss.
Ensure that the weight of new devices can be borne by the supporting structure (eg: roof rafters or ceiling joists), or that the structure is appropriately strengthened to accommodate the additional weight. The minimum number of fixing holes should be used to fix the device to the roof, which will help minimise the extent of damage, and will assist with future removal and replacement.
Ensure that new metal components in contact with metal roof cladding are chemically compatible or insulated to avoid corrosion. |
11.7 Energy efficiency
Installating insulating materials within a building, where there is no impact on significant fabric, including significant or original ceilings.
Replacing window sashes to effect double glazing in parts of a place or building that are of no heritage significance, where the new components are of the same material and appearance as those they replace.
See also section '1.4 Doors and Windows'. | Installing insulation where the work involves disturbance of original fabric such as roof claddings (including remnant shingles) or internal linings such as lath and plaster.
Appropriate outcomes:
See section ‘11.1 New services (generally)’ for appropriate outcomes. |
Upgrade to double glazing involving the replacement of early or original window frames and/or sashes.
Appropriate outcomes:
Double glazing involving the replacement of significant fabric and/or visual changes to the principal elevation/s of a place is discouraged. Other options, such as a sash window repair or internal secondary glazing may be a preferred solution. |
11.8 Wind Energy Devices
| Where there is no physical impact on the historic fabric including areas of archaeological potential, or visual impact on the significant buildings, spaces or landscapes of a place. | Installing wind turbines that impact the place's significance.
Appropriate outcomes:
Locating wind turbines to avoid them becoming the visually dominant feature at a heritage place and the surrounding landscape. Due to their height and elevaion they can be a visually dominant feature that detracts from the significance of a place.
Avoiding fixing turbines to chimney or other structures that are not constructed to take this type of structural loading. Avoiding constructing turbines adjacent to a historic feature that is the most visually dominant feature in the surrouding landscape. |
11.9 Fixed wire internet or telecommunications connection
| Installing fixed wire internet where the types of works are consistent with the Heritage Council's NBN Exempt Works Guidelines | Where there may be impact on the place's significance. Appropriate outcomes: Avoid fixing conduits and boxes onto the front faces of buildings; into highly decorative or detailed fabric; or into un-painted masonry. External infrastructure should be discreetly located. Where possible, cabling and conduits should be run internally within the building, either within the roof, floor or wall cavity, and where possible not be exposed to the building exterior. See also the Heritage Council's NBN Exempt Works Guidelines for more information. |
11.10 Gas and Fuel Installations
Gas meters and gas bottles discreetly located and not on the front face of the building.
Gas pipes discreetly installed, underground where they are not in an area of archaeological potential, with risers grouped with other infrastructure to minimise visual impacts.
Wall penetrations in concealed locations. | Where there may be impact on the place’s significance.
Appropriate outcomes:
Where gas meters, bottles and plumbing cannot be discreetly located, they may need to be appropriately screened to minimise their impact.
Design concrete pads for gas and fuel equipment in a manner that does not cause or exacerbate problems with rising damp in adjoining walls of porous masonry. |
Case Study (New Services): Georgian homestead, Campania
A clever solution was found for the installation of solar panels at this c.1840 farm house.
After considering several options, the most satisfactory solution was to install a bank of panels in a paddock near the house. It allowed for a cost effective installation and avoided any intrusion on the heritage values of the farm house, including visual impacts. It also allowed the panels to be orientated to receive the absolute maximum amount of sunlight.
Case Study (New Services): A historic church, South Hobart
Careful consideration was needed during the installation of solar panels at this historic church in South Hobart. The solution was to locate the panels on the rear facing sections of the hall building. This avoided impacts to the historically and architecturally significant church, whilst also having no impacts on the public presentation of the place. The works also allowed for the consolidation of power infrastructure with a number of power lines buried underground.