You will often hear about the planning and building process and the need for permits and approvals. While this process concludes with planning and building permits for the development you are proposing, there can be a variety of things to consider depending on where the land is. Concept planning is fundamentally important before resolving on what you are actually proposing to do.
The need to obtain planning and building permits is an important step. There are legal approvals for the development you are proposing, and they are essential for financing. They are also important if you ever seek to sell the property either with an approved permit, or after the development is completed with a certificate of occupancy.
That's why it is important that you engage early with your local council through the rebuilding hubs early in your planning process.
The key phases in any rebuilding or new building process after a bushfire that you will likely experience include:
- concept planning
- detailed planning and approvals
- construction, and
- post completion.
Depending on where the site is some or all of the following should be considered as you proceed.
Concept phase
Bushfire planning advisers, town planners, architects and building designers can really help at this stage.
- Clean-up and removal of hazardous materials – often done through a government clean-up and make safe program.
- Site analysis, including access for emergency vehicles, slope, bushfire attack level assessment, proposed dwelling location on site, location of nearby dwellings, native vegetation and nearby and geotechnical and soil assessment.
- Identify the lowest risk site on the block - which may not be where a pre-existing house was sited.
- Assess what the clean-up process means for your site. For example, are foundations reusable or not.
- Understand your overall budget for design, construction, occupation and management of your property. This includes understanding what elements might or might not be covered by your insurance.
- Assess what specialist skills and support you might engage to help you resolve what you want to do and how you are going to go about it (architects, building designers engineers, and so on).
- Make concept plans - an open approach to working out your objectives, priorities for a new structure, conceptual design. Architects and building designers can make a huge difference here.
- Remember that there are many ways to improve a buildings resilience to bushfire. Consider that bushfire design requirements from the start are normally cheaper than retrofitting at the end of the design process.
- Engage early with your local council about your evolving concept plan and establish what approvals you need and what information you need to support making the application.
- Determine if the extent of your property title is still identifiable and consider if you need to get a boundary survey prepared. This is important where you may be proposing to build near a property boundary.
- Identify siting, access or other considerations, including an assessment of hazards on your property or within the surrounding landscape. For example, can you site the new house in a way to minimise the risk by being further away from heavy bush or forest?
- Identify where your water supply is, or what it is. For example, where will you site firefighting water tanks that are generally a mandatory requirement unless you are in a township?
- Plan where firefighting water outlets might be located.
- Assess if you have sufficient water supply if you are considering bushfire sprinkler systems as part of your design. Things to consider include the time it will need to run (at least one hour) and planning for piping where you need it?
- Assess if you can achieve vehicular access for trucks cranes or other equipment – what is the load capacity of any small bridges or other crossings that might be involved in more remote locations?
- Assess if your access is all weather capable of supporting emergency vehicles, for example, a 15 tonne truck.
- Establish overall objectives, for example, on grid or off grid, water systems, and so on.
- Consider how building features, garden walls, or earth embankments might play a part in providing radiant heat protection for parts of the structure. If your strategic plan is to stay and defend your property, where would you plan to manage defense - noting that leaving early is always the best method of ensuring your personal safety.
- Plan where gas bottles will be sited – preferably away from the house.
- Assess if previous sewerage and effluent systems or connections are still viable or require replacement, repair or renewal.
- Determine preferred construction methods and the practicality of them in terms of site access.
- Establish approximate pricing for what you are conceptually planning before you finalise your plans.
- Produce a final concept plan or plans for your whole site that establishes overall siting and design objectives and gives you confidence that you have identified all the main elements you need. Be clear about what information you need to seek planning and building approvals – this is arguably the most important step.
- Talk to the council again about your evolving concept plans.
Detailed planning and permit approvals phase
- Develop detailed plans of what will be built and finalise other supporting information as required to seek required permits and approvals.
- Lodge planning, building and any other approval applications that may be required. Engage early with your local government about your plans, timing and the essential information you will need. The council will also talk to you about advice they will seek from referral authorities including the Country Fire Association (CFA).
- Obtain final quotations and contract a registered builder if you have not already done so, appoint a building surveyor, and engage other specialists if required. Seek legal advice on contracts if you are unsure. Read the information on the Department of Transport and Planning website in relation to quotations, contracts and consumer protection.
- In almost all cases you will need a building permit for the development proposed and often a planning permit will also be required. These are legal approvals that authorise what you are intending to do and are fundamental in the building process in financing your build and insuring your building once complete.
Construction phase
- Construction phase (registered builder or owner builder).
- Mandatory construction inspections at key steps in the build (the building surveyor).
- Implement any other bushfire risk mitigation measures or conditions that are part of your planning and building permits. For example, firefighting water supply tanks if required.
- Occupancy permits (the building surveyor).
Post completion phase
- Landscaping and other site management considerations such as ensuring your defendable space is maintained.
- Your bushfire survival plan for you and your site in a future bushfire.
- Implement any other voluntary bushfire risk mitigation measures that form part of your overall approach to your site (See Sarsfield residents Kate and Anthony Nelson's blog on their site plans.
- Check to ensure that any future works do not undo the effort put into creating a more bushfire resilient house. For example, do not locate flammable things near the house or create holes that allow embers to get into the house.
- Review update and maintain your fire preparation plan.
Updated