Do you love the suburb you live in but find that your home is in need of a change? A renovation is an excellent way to update an older home, accommodate a growing family and incorporate your personal style into your home. However, while this is your property, some changes to it may require the local Council or State approval.
Thus, when developing your design options, you and your designer need to consider the local Council’s and State’s regulations for building, including bushfire safety and heritage conservation. The best and most experienced designer can then advise you on which approval system is most appropriate for your renovation project.
What types of renovations require Approval?
Any renovation of a home that will result in a change to its shape or size will require approval from the local Council or State. (Minor interior decoration changes do not.) Which system applies to you will depend on your location and the kind of renovation you are planning.
During the assessment of an application, authorities consider compliance with planning and construction requirements. They also assess the degree to which your project may affect surrounding properties.
Two Systems for Assessing Approvals
In the Sydney area, there are two systems for assessing applications and issuing approvals:
- Local Council approval system
- State Government approval system
Local Council approval system – DA and CC
The local Council approval system has two stages known as Development Application and Construction Certificate. You may know these as D.A. and C.C. When you use the local Council process you need approvals for both the D.A. and C.C. before you can commence construction.
State Government approval system – CDC
The State Government approval system, commonly known as a Complying Development, is a single-stage process. After the application is approved, you will obtain a Complying Development Certificate (C.D.C.). Once this Certificate is received your construction can commence.
Reasons for employing either approval system
There are differences between the D.A. and C.D.C. processes.
The D.A. process through Council may allow you an opportunity to discuss modifications of some rules if the proposal that you are presenting is reasonable and meets the Council’s objectives.
If your property is on Bushfire Prone Land and has a rating of BAL-40 or BAL-FZ, or is in a Heritage Conservation Area, then the DA process is your only option.
With the C.D.C. process, however, you are not able to negotiate regulations. You must comply with all requirements for a C.D.C. Any non-compliance will automatically mean no approval for your application.
Which system is best – Council or State approval?
The decision to select the most appropriate approval system requires an excellent knowledge of the corresponding rules. Choosing between Council or State approval requires high levels of experience with both. Your designer needs to be able to give you good advice about which process is going to be the most beneficial to you and your home renovation project, and the rationale for this decision. It would also be an advantage if your designer has specific experience in working with regulations for home renovations in bushfire-prone land or the conservation of heritage homes.
Using the Council process will take longer. However, the benefits of achieving a more suitable design outcome for your project may be the most crucial factor for you. In other cases, your project will comply exactly with the State Government regulations and will therefore be approved sooner.
Contact
Ideally, you want a designer with extensive experience in dealing with the Councils on Sydney’s North Shore and the State Government regulations. With a 100% success rate of all approvals, I can guide you through this process and advise on the best process to suit you and your project.
For a design that is exciting for your family and meets all the regulations, call me to see if I can help you.
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