Here Are Some of the Issues You’ll Face…
If you have already gone ahead and built a project, or perhaps have bought a property with works that have not been approved, there is a narrow path that you need to tread to get everything sorted.
Seeking retrospective council approval for building works can feel like endless paperwork and compliance. The planning system is complex and can be frustrating for homeowners and investors.
Putting together an application for retrospective consent can be extremely hard and tiring and dealing with council can be a nightmare, not to mention the whole process can be very expensive in both time and money. Plus, we’re pretty sure, you have better things to do… That’s where we fit in!
It’s what we do, all day, everyday. With a team of 10+ highly knowledgeable and experienced town planners, property consultants, registered architect and draftsman we’re pretty good at what we do.
What Rules Do I Need to Comply With?
Having worked on hundreds of Restrospective Council Approval projects over the past 25 years common compliance rules and questions to consider are:
1.
Building Certifiacte – It is likely that you will need a building certificate as well as a development application. What you say… Do I need two types of approvals? Depending on your local government rules and procedure it often takes more effort to do a retrospective approval process than if the right procedures had been followed prior to construction. We can help you navigate the right approval process.
2.
Building Code Of Australia – The challenge with building work completed that actually needed approval is that we now need to prove to council that the works were done in accordance with the Australian Building Code. Whilst a normal construction would have a private certifier or council certifier do periodic inspections and effectively ‘take ownership’ of the building works, where the construction has occurred without approval it means the onus shifts to the landowner to prove the works have been done in accordance with the Australian Building Code. We handle so many of these that we have a proven systematic way to do this.
3.
Timing of Application – It will be important to get the timing right in terms of whether a development application is lodged at the same time as a building certificate or if they are lodged in sequence. The wrong move here can unstick you.
4.
Keep Moving Forward – The key here is to keep moving forward. If you have unauthorised building works then it means in the even of an accident, fire or flood, your insurance company will not cover you. Insurance policies do not cover ‘illegal building works’. So its really important that you keep moving forward and get the right approvals in place. Don’t leave it any longer.
And Here’s How We Can Help…
We understand that getting to the point of having the right approval for your Restrospective Approval is not an easy journey. It’s one that needs the best experience the industry has to offer. That’s why we’re here to help… We’d love to make your council approval journey for a Restrospective Approval simple and as pain-free as possible.
We’ve worked on hundreds of Restrospective Approvals for our clients and have dedicated town planners and designers that specialise in this type of development application.
You can glean from the wisdom we’ve gained from all of our past projects. 25 years of being in the industry and our 50 consecutive years of experience has taught us a few things.
Ready to get started? Book in for your Free 30-minute consultation.