Everything You Need to Know Before You Build Your Secondary Dwelling

Designated Bush Fire Prone Areas

New South Wales and the ACT are loved by Australian families for being filled with bushland and expansive National Parks. However, this beautiful bushland can also mean that it poses a risk for bushfire, and a surprising number of suburbs are within these bush fire zones. Any proposed construction in bush fire areas must comply with Planning for Bush Fire Protection for new works. You can find out if your land is within bushfire prone area via the: NSW Rural Fire Service website.

Flood Zones

Australia is famous as the land of drought and flooding rains. When building a secondary dwelling on your land, it’s important to plan ahead and consider if any of your property is at risk of flooding. Flood zones are an important consideration in the approvals process, affecting parts of NSW such as the Hunter Valley and Central Coast, parts of Wollongong, Newcastle and Windsor to name a few. In general terms, the requirement is that the Granny Flat must comply with the Building Code of Australia, and your project must have a particular certificate to demonstrate this. When you choose to build with Cubitt’s, we will handle the approvals process for you, and keep you updated throughout the building journey.

Snowfall and Sloping Blocks

The likeliness of snow falling in the winter months in the Southern Highlands such as Bowral and Mittagong, as well as the Blue Mountains, means that bolstered roofing may be required. While beautiful, the Great Dividing Range that stretches along Australia’s east coast does mean that there are many steep sloping lots of land throughout NSW, particularly in the Greater Blue Mountains area such as Blaxland, Katoomba and Lithgow. Specialised construction methods and approvals are required to reduce any risks posed by steep land. Cubitt’s are experts at navigating difficult blocks and have the expertise needed to build split-level Granny Flat designs where required.

Stormwater Drainage on Flat Land

Usually large, flat blocks of land are typically considered a goldmine for any sort of construction project, like building a Granny Flat or detached secondary dwelling. But land such as this found in Leppington or Blacktown, can adversely be affected by a lack of fall, resulting in inefficient disposing of stormwater.

Subdivided Land and Smaller Blocks

With space at a premium in the Greater Sydney region and indeed NSW more widely, smaller blocks of land and subdivided lots are becoming more common. If you live in Sydney’s inner western suburbs such as Marrickville, Newtown and Strathfield, you may have always believed a Granny Flat would never be possible on your land – think again! There are options for smaller blocks to gain council approval and build a secondary dwelling, speak with one of Cubitt’s expert consultants to learn more on 1300 721 150.

Local Council Infrastructure Contributions

Also known as ‘developer contributions’, local councils charge monetary contributions towards local infrastructure when a new building development occurs. This contribution is administered by the local government and is allocated towards anything from parks, community facilities or footpaths to name a few. While two suburbs may be geographically close to each other, it’s important to note the contributions policies may differ greatly – so it’s a good idea to check. However, when you build with Cubitt’s, our planning and development experts will investigate this for you.