Yes, you need council approval to build.
Development consent is required in most instances. There are generally three pathways for development:
- Exempt development covers certain types of minor work where no application for planning or construction approval is required; however, it must meet some standards. For example, to build a terrace, fence, internal decoration, painting, or garden shed, you don't need council approval, but you need to consider some rules that regulate these items. Council can make a random check on properties based on neighbor complaints to check if you start construction work that does not comply with codes and regulations or are not exempt and need a development application.
- Complying development [ CDC] application; covers work that meets specific pre-determined development standards and can be assessed and approved by a certifying authority (council or private accredited certifier) in 10 days or
- Merit-based assessment [which requires a DA then CC], must be submitted to a consent authority (usually council) for assessment. This path will give more advantages to your development and flexibility, but only if you use an experienced architect to design within all codes and regulations. You can get a more extensive and elegant house using this path compared to the previous path of complying development, as complying development is rigid and strict. The government needs to use a private certifier for a smaller project, but they control the result by stricken rules. This way council frees up the merit-based system for more complex and sensitive developments.
