|
Swan Hill Rural City Council Building Department provide:
- Building permit and inspection services for all classes of buildings.
- Report and consent applications and assessments.
Is a Building Permit required?
In most instances the answer is often yes. Practice Note 32 issued by the Building Commission lists the types of building work that do and do not require a building permit. Click here to download the fact file.
Failure to Obtain a Building permit:
The Building Act 1993 and the Building Regulations 2006 state that building work cannot commence before a building permit can be issued. The Act prescribes a penalty of up to $10,000 for any work carried out without a building permit.
Owners may also have difficulty selling their properties if details of all the building permits cannot be provided. This may incur considerable costs to have non conforming building works rectified.
Building Inspections:
Inspections are an important part of the permit process. All new building and renovations for which the building permit has been issued must also have an Occupancy Permit or Certificate of Final Inspection issued before their use.
The following mandatory inspections are required in relation to building permits:
- Prior to placing footing
- Completion of framework
- Final-upon completion of all building work
Inspections may be arranged by phoning (03) 50362352 during office hours. (Please quote building permit number) A minimum of 24 Hours notice is required.
Lapsed Building Permits:
Building Permits Lapse in the following situations:
Domestic:
- Building works not started within one year of the building permit date.
- Building works not completed within two years of the building permit date.
- Relocated dwellings not started within 6 months of the building permit date.
- Relocated dwellings not completed within 12 months of the building permit date.
Commercial/Industrial:
- Building works not started within one year of the building permit date.
- Building works not completed within three years of the building permit date.
Swimming Pools:
- Works not completed (including safety barriers), within 6 months of the building permit date.
Council's Municipal Building Surveyor may allow an extension of time to commence or complete works covered by a building permit issued by Swan Hill Rural City Council, where the building work warrants an extension.
Building permits issued by private building surveyors can only be extended by the private building surveyor.
The commencement or completion periods can only be extended prior to the lapse of the permit.
An application for an extension of time in respect of a Council permit, must include:
- A covering letter describing stage of work, the works to be completed and reasons for the extension.
- Fee of $100 plus GST (10%)
Swimming Pools and Spas and Safety Fencing Requirements:
Building Permits are required for all swimming pools and spas that have a depth greater than 300mm and are required to have safety barriers complying with AS1926.1.
All pools and spas, regardless of when they were built are required by the Building Regulations 2006 to be fitted with a safety barrier complying with AS1926.1.
If you have an existing pool or spa that does not have a safety barrier then you are required to have a barrier installed. A building permit is required prior to erecting the safety fence.
Penalties up to $10,000 may apply to property owners who do not comply with this requirement. (WEBLINK TO BUILDING COMMISSION BROCHURE)
Essential Safety Measures Maintenance:
Owners of building classes 2-9 (multi-storey, dwelling units, motels, guest house, offices, shops, warehouses, factories, hospitals, public buildings and schools) are required to maintain all essential safety measures that are installed in a building. If your building was either constructed or altered since July 1, 1994 then all essential safety measures will be listed on the Occupancy Permit with the requirements for the level and frequency of this maintenance.
For buildings that were constructed before July 1, 1994, any essential safety measure installed in the building will have to be maintained to ensure that it functions properly. The Building Commission has produced an Essential Safety Measures Maintenance Manual that lays out all the requirements and responsibilities of property owners. A copy can be downloaded from here.
Bushfire Construction Requirements 2009
On the 11th March 2009 the Victorian Government introduced the Building Amendment (Bushfire Construction) Interim Regulations 2009. The objective of the amendment is to regulate the construction requirements of Class 1, 2, 3 (dwellings, dwelling units, motels, guest house), and associated Class 10a (garages, sheds), buildings that may be subject to the effect of bushfire.
Effectively now all proposed building work throughout Victoria to any Class 1, 2, 3 or associated Class 10a building is required to address the requirements of AS3959 – 2009 Construction of Buildings in Bushfire Prone Areas. It will be important to conduct and fully document a site assessment to determine the level of protection required by the new Australian Standard. The Building Commission have produced "A guide to assessing your property's Bushfire Attack Level (BAL)".
Termite Management in Buildings:
Swan Hill Rural City Council is a designated termite prone area under Regulation 803 of the Building Regulations 2006.
Any person intending to carry out building works within the municipality will be required to implement construction techniques that meet the requirements of the Building Code of Australia to prevent infestation.
LINKS:
DOWNLOAD FILES: COUNCIL
LINKS:
DOWNLOAD FILES: BUILDING COMMISSION
|
