March 2018

General Manager's Message

I’m excited to be part of Wagga Wagga City Council and to have the opportunity to play a role in guiding its future.

There is a lot of reform we can pursue in relation to our planning instruments, which will deliver better outcomes to the community.

The Development Control Plan is an early target with a widespread concern both within Council and within the community that the DCP is out of date.

We are going to fix that.

Once it has been reviewed, it is our intent to review it regularly so when we strike something that isn’t delivering a common sense result we will amend the plan to address it in a timely manner.

We are also aiming to provide an environment that makes industrial development at Bomen attractive, because approaches will be straight forward, fast and offer certainty. If new businesses want to come to Wagga, as a Council we will be clearing the runway and turning on the landing lights.

Similarly we would like to encourage the continued development of a very liveable city with high quality housing and recreation options being a key to long-term community satisfaction in the way we as a Council do our business.

Finally, we will be exploring the full master planning of new development areas on a catchment-wide basis.

I’d like to see Council shoulder the initiative of planning the drainage, sewer, water and key road targets for future development areas. This will provide for better management of these important services and for more certainty for developers in services to their particular area in the catchment.

I look forward to working the industry to deliver the continued growth and prosperity of NSW’s largest inland city.

Wagga Wagga City Council General Manager - Peter Thompson

Welcome Paul O'Brien
Manager City Development

Wagga Wagga City Council is pleased to welcome Paul O’Brien. Paul commenced in the role of Manager City Development in January and is responsible for leading the City Development division in the delivery of all development control, development assessment and building and plumbing services for the city.

Paul has an extensive background working in local government planning, holds qualifications in both planning and applied sciences and is an A1 Accredited Certifier – Building Surveying.

Paul joins us from Junee Shire Council where he held the role of Development & Environmental Services Manager and has over 20 years’ experience working across various councils in health, building, engineering, environment and town planning.

Publishing of Electronic Documents

City Development is moving forward electronically. As part of this we have commenced publishing on our website certain documents that can be viewed by customers at any time. The following are new additions to those documents that are currently available:

Exhibition Documents

These are documents that are received forming part of Development Applications that are on exhibition. Exhibition means when adjoining neighbours are notified of a development via correspondence notification, and/or applications are advertised in Council News, there is a link identified (below) that will take you to all exhibited documents.

https://eservices.wagga.nsw.gov.au/exhibitiondocs

Determination Documents & Mobile Inspection Certificates

Determinations, such as signed approvals and refusals of current applications, are now available online via “online services”, either using the property address or the application number.

If you have any enquiries regarding any of the above documentation, please contact City Development on 1300 292 442, our staff will be happy to assist you.

The availability of the above documents electronically will assist customers in having the ability to view documentation when convenient to them 24/7 from anywhere.

Procedure Updates

149D Building Certificates

Please be aware that Building Certificates will no longer be issued, until a Final Plumbing Certificate has been issued on all permits for the subject property.

BKG Changes

Council is changing the way kerb and gutter and footpaths are monitored during the building process. The BKG bond will still need to be paid and held throughout the building process. What is changing is how damage is documented.

If any damage is present prior to works commencing on site, the builder will be required to document the damage with photos and inform Council prior to commencing works.
If no damage is present prior to commencing works then the builder does not need to inform Council.
If Council does not receive any notification of damage it will be assumed that no damage existed prior to works commencing.
Any damage caused throughout the building process is the builders responsibility to repair.
At the final inspection at Occupation Certificate stage, Council will inspect the kerb and gutter and footpath for any damage. If any damage is found to have occurred during the building process then the builder will be required to repair the damage prior to receiving a refund of their bond, or in the case of an ongoing bond, the bond will be put on hold until the damage is repaired.

This will streamline the BKG process and eliminate the need to for photos and documentation of kerb and footpath where no damage exists prior to works commencing. A similar process of monitoring kerb and footpath damage has been used in Albury Council.

Critical Stage Inspections

Critical stage inspections are the compulsory inspections required to be carried out under Section 109E (3) (d) of Environmental Planning and Assessment Act (EP&A Act) 1979 and Clause 162A of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulation (EP&A Regulation) 2000 during construction and before an Occupation Certificate may be issued.

Section 109E (3) (d) of EP&A Act 1979 No 203 says;

“(3) A principal certifying authority for building work or subdivision work to be carried out on a site is required to be satisfied:
(d) that building work or subdivision work on the site has been inspected by the principal certifying authority or another certifying authority on such occasions (if any) as are prescribed by the regulations and on such other occasions as may be required by the principal certifying authority, before the principal certifying authority issues an occupation certificate or subdivision certificate for the building or work.”

In the case of a class 1 or 10 building, the occasions on which building work must be inspected by the principal certifying authority are:

(a) After excavation for, and prior to the placement of any footings (Piers, Blinding and Strip Footings)

(b) Prior to pouring any in-situ reinforced concrete building element (Slab or Pool Coping)

(c) Prior to covering of the framework for any floor, wall, roof or other building element

(d) Prior to covering waterproofing in any wet areas

(e) Prior to covering any storm water drainage connections

(f) After the building work has been completed and prior to any occupation certificate being issued in relation to the building (Final Inspection).
In the case of a swimming pool, the final inspection should be made as soon as possible after a permanent barrier is installed.

Now Open: Viewing Kiosk

A Viewing Kiosk has been established at Council’s Customer Service Area, located across from the lift on the library side of Customer Service in the Civic Centre.

This facility will be used by customers who may not have access to view exhibited documentation or are visiting the Civic Centre. The facilities will also cater for payment of Council accounts online, assisting the Customer Service area in peak times such as the rates payment period.

Assistance will be available from Customer Service Officers on general use of the facility and the Duty Planning Officer will be available for further enquiries on developments.