Hi there fish, It’s not quite that bad.
If you want to renovate you can however you need to get an owner builder’s permit if the works would cost more than $11k. This is to crack down on dodgy renovations really.
There is nothing that prevents you from doing the work, they just want to make sure you know what you are doing before you go taking on such a big job. That is why you have to do a 3 day course and pay for a permit.

Hope that helps!