In The Uniting Church in Australia Property Trust (Q.) v Queensland Heritage Council [2024] QPEC 25, the Planning and Environment Court of Queensland reviewed an appeal against the Queensland Heritage Council's decision to enter the Wilston Methodist Memorial Church in the Queensland heritage register as a State heritage place.
The appellant, The Uniting Church in Australia Property Trust (Q.), opposed this decision, arguing that the church did not satisfy the cultural heritage criteria stipulated under sections 35(1)(a), (d), and (e) of the Queensland Heritage Act 1992. The Church, which ceased its operation as a place of worship in 2019, was the focus of extensive evidence presented by both parties. Ultimately, the court ruled that the Church did not meet the necessary heritage significance criteria and hence should not be listed on the heritage register. The appeal was allowed, and the council's decision was overturned, resulting in the removal of the Wilston Methodist Memorial Church from the Queensland heritage register.