If you are thinking of buying a property in Victoria with the idea of renovating it you should check out
http://www.buildingcommission.com.au
Before you decide to buy in Victoria as the Victorian government has quietly introduced new legislation that came into effect 14 June 2005 and requires Owner Builders to apply for a Certificate of Consent before they can do major renovation work on property.
And an Owner builder is not someone who is a builder under this new red tape.
An owner builder is a person who carries out domestic building work on his or her own land, who is not in the business of building. (from the info book)