Great Aussie Patios received some fantastic news from the WA State Government last week. Under the new proposed State Government reforms, West Australian’s who are seeking to conduct small home renovation projects such as patios, pergolas, decks and extensions, could soon be able to skip the planning approvals process.
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“For smaller projects - in particular patios, for pergolas, or for shade sails, were going to remove the requirement for planning approval”
“A household who want to put up a shed or patio or some shade sails, to have to get planning approval from the local council is expensive and unnecessary”
“These reforms allow us to clear that red tape away and ensure that we get major developers and minor developers and householders and small businesses the opportunity to get their projects underway far more quickly”
With far less expense, with better design, with less bureaucracy”
- WA Premier Mark McGowan
For the last 20 years, Great Aussie Patios have been gaining approval from shires to get home renovation and building projects completed. Traditionally, two permits are required – a building permit and a planning permit.
A building permit is a standard process for each shire and has a regulated timeframe – 25 days for uncertified approvals and 10 days for certified approvals. It’s the planning approval process that McGowan has addressed that needs scrapping.
If you wanted to build a tiny courtyard patio in the system’s current state, this could cost up to $300.00 in fees and could take anywhere up to 90 days to get both planning and building permits approved.
One of the continual frustrations that Great Aussie Patios faces daily is that there is no single planning approvals process, or form, that we can use. Every single shire has its own internal policies and procedures, which means that there is no standardised time frame or application for a shire to grant a license. The system in its current state is unnecessarily complex. Streamlining the planning and building processes by local government would greatly assist in reducing ‘red tape’, and therefore reduce the overall time and costs for both Great Aussie Patios and our clients.
There is very little consistency in application forms between local governments. To be able to advise potential customers on the application process and permits required to put up a pergola, or to add a carport, we need to understand the specific requirements of each shire’s process. We have absolutely no certainty with how long things will take and cannot give our customers any answers as to when we will be able to commence building.
For years we have experienced countless complaints from clients who are confused by the system’s complexity, murkiness and poor consultation processes. With the fast-tracking of Western Australia’s planning system overhaul, instead of having to gain a separate building approval after a planning approval, one will count as both. Simply removing the planning approval process will see a significant reduction in delays and improve the efficiency of the approvals process for new housing and renovation projects to properties in Western Australia.
Relaxing these planning requirements will give Great Aussie Patios the ability to know the system, so we can give better advice to our potential customers and eliminate many headaches for both builders and customers alike.
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Call Us On (08) 9493 7115