Check the setbacks(house and garage/carport), easements, private open space requirements with the Council. These suck up the space available for development on the site. There may aslo be vertical height envelopes if going two storey. Then seek a meeting with a Cuncil planner for some advice on the constraints of the property. Prepare a rough design and send to Council seeking support in principle. Do this before spending big money on the designer/architect/consultant planner so the you save money. Once you’ve got some form of indication from Council, then get the plans prepared following ALL of the Council Planner’s suggestions. Once you’ve got the plans from designer then seek a pre-lodgement meeting with Council planner. Even after this meeting, any indication from Council in the positive is only given notwithstanding a full assessment of any submitted Development Application in accordance with section 79C of the NSW Environmental Planning & Assessment Act 1979.
That means that the proposal is subject to any possilbe referrals to other government agencies, also the Council’s other specialists eg Engineer, Arborist, Heritage Advisor etc etc. It is also subject to …..submissions from objectors. Yep, the Council is under a State legal obligation to consider all submissions recieved. How the Council attends to the objections is subject to their own procedures. It may also get called in by a Councillor for the full Council to consider or some form of Development Committee.
Hope this is of some help. The process is both complex and simple depending on your background. Basically the Council is obliged to minimise environmental impact. Good luck.

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“Dual Occupancy” is Town Planners’ speak. It means two dwellings on one parcel of land. (Reference Albury Local Environmental Plan 2000) I am sure there are many similar meanings in other planning documents. To me it does not matter if under the same roof. However, I would recommend ensuring the roof space is properly divided so that inappropriate access from one dwelling can not be gained across the roof cavity to the other dwelling. Also good for fire separation if they get strata titled in the future. You may have diffulculties with insurance coverage. I highly recommend same PM for both.

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Patience is a virtue. Well I reckon waiting for this one and the next deals will be much smoother because you’ve paid your “dues”.

Have you tried the Premium Financial Services of “which bank” instead of a broker?

Insofar as a horror story purchase, try 5 extensions of settlement as we tried in vain to get finance through a broker for a serviced apartment. Not the broker’s fault, just the current position of finacial institutions.

Nil illegitimo desparandum carberundum – don’t let the bastards wear you down.

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Note #1
Depending on the size of the Council the Town Planner may be “Strategic” – generally developing new planning policies/planning rules for Council approval. They are useful in finding out a more strategic view of where the Council is heading, where the new suburbs will be, major municipal investment areas, and where the planned infrastructure improvements are planned ie sewerage, water supply, footpaths, roadworks.
Then there is the “environmental” planner who would be involved in trying to “green” up the municipality in an eco-sensitive manner. Then there are the “development control” planners whose task is to assess development/planning applications so as to minimise the environmental impact through conditions attached to the approval. They see what’s coming in as developments such as new subdivisions, house extensions, change of use in commercial, new advertising sign, new child care centre etc. A good barometer of the strength of the local economy and what it can afford to develop. Other players in the game include the “economic development officer” where major new developers are channeled to from “front counter staff”. They may also be in charge of the selling Council developed industrial subdivisions lots, so a good indicator of the number of new industrial “employment creator” developments.
So “strategic planners” have the utopian edge of the town planning system and have contact with the very major developers but rarely have contact with the day to day applications at large. “development control planners” see so many day to day developments that they can lost in being able to see and feel the big picture. “Environmental planners” try to edge both the “strategic planners” and “development control planners” towards a more eco-sustainable future in their decision making and negotiations. The “front counter staff” see all the new applications but are removed from the end result of the development applications process. If the “front counter” are looking strees, the local economy is probably quite strong!

So be careful when you ask to see the town planner. Be very specific on what you want.

Note # 2
If you want professional and quality town planner advice, be professional yourself and make an appointment to meet the town planner rather than just rockin’ up to the Council counter expecting all at the drop of a hat.

Note #3
Most town planners at the moment are under insurmountable pressure and stress due to the development boom, an increase in complexities caused by State Governments, an increase in regulations in OH&S, on-going training, increased reporting requirements and lack of quality staff and computer resources. It should be noted that the numbers of experienced town planners in local government lessens by the day as they seek better conditions, recognition and respect in the private consultation circus.

Note #4
To be cycnical, town planning is about maintaining and improving property values. Think about it…No seriously….if residential houses are separated from dirty, noisy industry then both land sectors are able to more fully meet the expectations of the users, thus increasing value over other more mismatched configurations of land uses.

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Congratulations on the first step. Now what? reno or rent? Hope you check the rental market! Just walk into an agent and ask about what rental properties they have, dressed in a manner you would expect of the type of people you want to rent your place. Then you’ll see what each agent is like to deal with as a prospective rentor.

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Victoria Street medium density housing proposal in Albury CBD gets refused by Council. What do others think?

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In relation to the original post.
Building Approvals are just what has been approved by the responsible authorities. It does not indicate the actual physical take up of the approval or of the current collection of building applications in the system.
There are periods where the number of take up may decrease as finance interest changes or pre-application sale price predictions are different to current predictions.
Councils also have periods of massive delays in processing applications due to all sorts of reasons, thereby creating a backlog of potential approvals.
In summary, one month’s approvals should be viewed as such taking into consideration my concerns about the realibility of the figure.

What does a three month sliding scale indicate?

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Yep, Straight to the Town Planner. They’ve got the good oil. Another interuption in my day!

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Sorry Jules1
A DA is a Development Application (NSW), ie Planning Permit (Vic).

The age does not indicate heritage status. Watch the trees though. Removal of trees is not always permitted by Council depending on the area.(Threatend Species and all that)
Check for all possible building constraints from the Council.
Eg Flooding potential
Bushfire Risk area or Buffer thereof.
Good luck. Some of us have to work in offices instead of reno work. (Wouldn’t know which end of the hammer to hold anyhow!)

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Is the property a heritage item or in a heritage conservation area?
Are you doing additions or just internal modifications.
Are you removing any trees?
In Albury a minor internal alteration includes replacement of doors, walls, ceiling, floor covering or deteriorating frame members with equivaland or improved materials, reno of bathrooms & kitchen (may need plumbing approval), built in fixtures such as vanities, cupboards, wardrobes. If the alterations affect the structural strength or stability of the building, or
the room configuration is changesd by wall removal, partitions, or
reduces window arrnagments for light & ventilation, reduced doorways, or
involves the enclosure of open or outdoor areas
then a development application and a construction certificate is needed.
All plumbing, sewerage or drainagew work is done by a licensed plumber.
If there is change to the external appearance of the building then a DA is required.

On behalf of all the hardworking Council employees out there trying to keep up with the myriad of changing rules and regulations then I apologise for the poor service you received.

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