Fremantle's heritage, by the rules
A port city of old buildings
Fremantle has hundreds of gold rush-era buildings, and the West End's late Victorian and Edwardian streets, many built from local limestone, are on the State Register of Heritage Places.
Lists and areas
The Heritage List holds around 2500 places and the Local Heritage Survey more than 5000. The 23 heritage areas include Central, North and South Fremantle and Hilton.
Inside work is usually exempt
Under Local Planning Policy 1.7, interior electrical and plumbing works and replacing light fittings on a Heritage List place don't need planning approval, unless it's Level 1A or 1B, on the State Register or under a Heritage Order or Agreement.
Outside fixtures need care
The policy counts solar panels and home batteries as external fixtures. On a listed place or in a heritage area, they're exempt only on a wall or roof plane facing the rear or a side boundary, within size limits. A satellite dish can be at most 1m across.
Air conditioners
A unit is exempt only on a side wall, or a rear-facing wall or roof plane within height limits, and never on a place on the Heritage List or State Register.
Units, renters and few panels
In 2021, 27.4% of homes were flats or apartments and 41.5% were rented. Only 1,247 small-scale solar systems have gone in across postcode 6160 since 2001.
Planning electrical work on a Fremantle heritage home
Check the listing
Find out whether the place is on the Heritage List and at what level, on the State Register, or in a heritage area.
Separate inside from outside
Rewiring, new circuits and light fittings inside are usually exempt. Panels, batteries and condensers are outside jobs with placement rules.
Pick the hidden side
Put solar, batteries and condensers on rear or side-facing planes, away from secondary streets.
Ask the City when in doubt
If the work isn't clearly exempt, talk to the City of Fremantle's planning team before booking anyone.
Our take for Fremantle
In an old limestone cottage, we'd have the wiring and switchboard assessed first. That's inside work and usually needs no approval. Then plan the visible additions around the policy, rear and side planes first, and choose an electrician who's worked in heritage homes and can suggest cable routes that leave original fabric alone.
Want a specialist to sort it?
Tell us the job and your postcode. We match the licence-checked local electrician who does this kind of work, and they call you. No ring-around, and your number goes to them alone.