Congratulations to our local council

[Iain]

Our local council, with the speed of a thousand startled rhiniceros (ri) have finally issued me with a building permit to put up my 12 x 6 workshop.
I wish to personally thank them for their expediency, the application was lodged in early September 2003.
Soon I will be able to work uninterupted in my own little domain, once the two inspections have taken place.
I hestitate to think how long these may take.
Incidentally, payment of a fee for the permit is required within 7 days so I may proceed with erection of said shed.
That one I will leave alone for fear of repercussions from said council.
Starnge lot, very quick to send out rates notices and adjustments or am I just cynical?

[kenmil]

Interesting. Many local councils now no longer require a permit application provided the total cost of the building does not exceed a specified limit. ($10,000 in my area) I did have to get a clearance from the water company , as I was building over a storm water easement, but that was no problem and very quick.

[ozwinner]

I'm pretty sure that if the maximum building cost is under $5000, and the constuction doesnt rely on the house for support, then you dont need a permit.
BUT, the council will still issue one, and take your money IF you apply.

Al

[Iain]

We had to get a permit as we wanted to build within 100 metres of the main road, we have a 'significant vegetation overlay', whatever that is, and the shed cost $7k.
I had to assure council that I was not going to remove any trees, not that there are any where the shed is going and the 8 huge cypress trees I have no intention of removing (cover for the mules during inclement weather).
I also have to have the 'pads' inspected, I think there are 12 of them at 400x400x400 and satisfy them that drainage is sufficient despite the fact that my neighbour has filled in a creek and elevated his land and my water has nowhere to go (another ongoing battle with council and other authorities).
The size without a permit is 120 square metres and I am only 72, but because of the distance from the road gives them the opportunity to deflate my wallet, the house is only 25 metres from the road but, in their words 'that's different'.
I asked why and was told because the house was built 60 years ago there were no regulations in place then but there are now.
I was also told not to cut down any ti tree, not that I intended to as it is on the front boundary, and they wanted to know how many trees were in the paddocks, none as it's strictly for the mules.
Bloody council, hypocritical pack of bludgers.
(Mules refers to the thoroughbreds depending upon their temperament at time of writing)

[journeyman Mick]

Round here a permit is required for "any structure", whether it be a house, shed, garage or tankstand. As I'm about 30 - 40 mins drive from the council chambers inspection fees are calculated @ 1 1/2hrs (travelling and inspection) @$60 per hour. All that so that some desk jockey can look at my formwork and steel and tell me it's as per plan, and look at the finished structure and tell me it's got all the required cyclone tie-downs in it. At least the council was pretty quick about issuing the permit, which was just as well as I'd already benched the site, got the formwork up and the steel in place when I applied for it.
I was going to put up a tankstand as I'm not on town water (which is great, means lower rates and better water) so that I would have water when the power was out. I was going to have to apply for a permit and have fully engineered drawings so I gave it a miss. I was only going to put a 1000L tank on top of four telegraph poles about 6M up with 16mm threaded rod for bracing. The paper work would've cost more than the structure. In the end I bought a 12V pump and a truck battery, much cheaper and more convenient.

Mick

[ozwinner]

Iain, Have you had a look here?

http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/planningsc...land/home.html

Cheers, Al

[zathras]

Iain,

to avoid a potential revisit by the bureaucrat inspector, bell out the bottom of your holes before they inspect. Should help

They probably don't specify it but they will on site.....

[DanP]

Mick,

Just consider yourself lucky that they don't charge per bend in the road between Cairns and Kuranda. You would be up for thousands.

Dan

[Iain]

Al, thanks but we are Cardinia Shire, also a contractor is performing the erection (will let me get away with that?).
I will bear in mind the belling out of the holes if it will help with the inspection, also consider that the inspection is performed by a private operator not the council themselves.
What really pisses me off is the fact that my neighbour seems to do whatever he wants and it is put in the too hard basket but when I operate within their regulations I am given buggery.
Bloody council and all who sail in her:mad:

[Barry_White]

You might live in Gods own Country but it looks like the Council over rules him or is your neigbours name God

[journeyman Mick]

Dan,
actually we're part of Marreba shire council, road is pretty straight out that way. Unfortunately a few years ago the council decided to abolish divisional representation, so suprise, suprise all the councillors are residents of Mareeba, the largest single population base in the shire. This means that the rest of the shire (and it's a big one, one of the largest in Australia) is without any direct representation. In effect, they take our money and do what they like, which means whatever is best for the town of Mareeba and scr#w Kuranda and the rest of the shire. Building inspections are real cheap if you live in Mareeba, but very expensive if you have the audacity to live elsewhere in the shire.:mad:

Mick

[ptc]

vote the lot out.
or move

[journeyman Mick]

PTC,
the trouble is that there is one large central town (Mareeba) and many smaller outlying towns, all with different enironment, agriculture and industry profiles and needs. No one town (besides Mareeba) has a big enough population to vote in their own candidate. Even if every single person in Kuranda voted for a local candidate they wouldn't get in. And we know that there's no way that someone will get every vote anyway. There is a groundswell of opinion that may eventually force the reintroduction of divisions but it will take some time. In the meantime it's business as usual. Our local rural fire brigades group (3 brigades) had a meeting recently to which major stakeholders were invited. Main Roads, National Parks, Forestry, Natural Resources and Railways all sent people. The council didn't. Our last major wild fire which took 3 weeks and 5 brigades to get under control started on council property (the dump) after hours and we were unable to get access for more than 12 hours by which time of course it was well and truly out of control. The council don't give a stuff about anything that happens outside of their town and are not even trying to make it look otherwise.:mad:

Mick

[jackiew]

mick, how did the council abolish divisional representation ... didn't the councillors who represented the "divisions" vote against it - or were they outnumbered? It certainly sounds as if democracy has broken down out your way... UDI must look appealing.

[Barry_White]

It's like what Bob Carr is trying to do in NSW.

They just amalgamated 5 councils into one in Tamworth and will only allow 9 councilers for the whole area so the outlying towns are going to suffer as each council had up to 12 councilers.

My biggest beef is all the councilers that have percunery interests in the town and are just trying to feather their own nests and stop progress because it doesn't suit them.