As I wrote just last week Council is much more than Roads, Rates & Rubbish. It is a provider also not just of Community Grants. We a provider of Conservation Grants.

A number of properties in the City of Unley have a significant contribution to the history of Unley. We have homes not only listed in our Heritage Building Register. We have a number of historic conservation zones in our Development Plan.

In these zones houses have a level of protection not dissimilar to those listed in our register against unsympathetic redevelopment. The Development Plan is trying to preserve our built form history. This does place restrictions on what you as the home owner can do.

If your home is listed or in one of these zones Council recognises that you may be financially challenged in order for you to protect the heritage of the amenity around you.

The same can be said if you are the owner of a significant tree. Under the State’s Development Regulations you cannot remove a significant tree or even prune the tree without Council approval.

Council has therefore a Conservation Grant Policy designed to provide you some assistance/ relief. This policy allows you as a home owner of a heritage building, or of a significant tree, to seek a contribution from Council for the cost of preserving either in a ‘safe and aesthetically pleasing condition’.

Grants may be allocated for up to 50 per cent of the total cost of a single conservation treatment. The maximum amounts available per application are:

• $1,000 for pruning significant trees; and
• $5,000 for local heritage buildings and contributory items within Historic Conservation Zone

There is a current round which is open until Tuesday 2 May 2017. If you have a project in mind or a tree requiring pruning I urge you to check out our policy and make application here.