A building permit is required prior to commencing construction for most structures (residential, commercial or industrial) including but not limited to new works, additions, alterations, commercial fit-outs and refurbishments, changes to ground levels, swimming pools, spas and pool barriers.
Additionally, if you need to demolish a structure (residential, commercial or industrial) you will need a Demolition Permit.
You may be required to provide copies of certified plans of your property’s structures with your application. The Shire has a library of plans on file.
Should you require a copy of approved building plans for your property, you can arrange for the Shire to retrieve building archived plans by submitting the Plan Search Request Form and returning it with fee payment. The fee must be paid before any searches will be carried out. You can pay by phone; at (08) 9941 0000 option 1, email; building@carnarvon.wa.gov.au or by coming into the Shire office at 3 Francis Street.
Plan Search Request Form(PDF, 343KB)
When building it is often a requirement to seek Planning Approval before applying for a building permit. The Building Surveyor must be satisfied that the proposed building work has the necessary approval under the Planning and Development Act 2005 and the applicant has complied or is complying with all relevant planning requirements.
The Town Planner will check for any heritage encumbrances. They will also check to ensure all building is in line with the R-codes, Zoning and use of the property.
Please contact Town Planning on (08) 9941 0000 for advice on whether a planning assessment or a planning application is required to meet the relevant requirements. Or see our Town Planning on this website.
(Scale not less than 1:500)
A Site plan must include
- street names
- lot numbers
- north point
- lot dimensions
- existing and proposed buildings (proposed building to be shown in contrasting clour) with dimensions from all boundaries
- use of new buildings
- dimensions and layout of car parking spaces
- location and dimensions of service areas
- landscaped areas
NOTE: site plan must address all aspects of R-Code requirements (setbacks, truncations etc.)
Non-Sewered areas: refer to 7 For Non-Sewered Areas below.
Floor Plan
(for each floor; Scale NOT less than 1:100)
Specifications
The plans submitted must include the specifications of materials to be used, including type, rating, size etc. An Architect, draftsman or engineer will include all required specifications within the proposed build.
Cyclone Wind Rating
The Shire of Carnarvon is located within one of the most severe cyclonic wind regions in Australia.
The Shire is in Wind Region D, which means everything needs to be built to a structural standard to withstand cyclonic winds. For example if you are going to build a shed of any sort, you will need a cyclone kit with Wind Region D specifications.
As such, all structures are required to be designed and certified by a practicing certified structural engineer in accordance the Building Code of Australia and Australian Standards. Design wind speeds can be obtained from the Building Code of Australia or the Australian Standards.
The following map is an extract from the Building Code of Australia which shows the locations of all wind regions within Australia.
Structural Engineer Certification
All structural plans must be signed off by a registered structural engineer confirming that the design meets the requirements for Cyclone Region D
For Non-Sewered Areas
Where the building work will require installation or modification of apparatus for the treatment of sewage, approval under the Health Act must be obtained for this work before a building permit can be issued. The Shire recommends that a building application is not submitted until such Health approval is granted. Please complete in full and pay for an 'Application for Construct or Install an Apparatus for the Treatment of Sewage' form.
A site plan is required with the Application for Construct or Install an Apparatus for the treatment of Sewage. the site plan must show the location and setbacks for all existing and proposed wastewater treatment and disposal systems (e.g. septic tanks and leach drains). Setbacks are required in relation to boundaries and existing and proposed buildings.
Where an occupancy increase is to occur, the applicant must demonstrate that the existing on-site wastewater system will meet Health requirements for the proposed occupancy and may be required to provide full specifications of the existing system (tank types, leach drain types and length etc.)
Contact the Shire's Environmental Health Officer on 08 99 41 0000 or by email at health@carnarvon.wa.gov.au for more information.
Owner-builder
Anyone who carries out ‘builder work’ valued over $20,000 must be a registered builder or an approved owner-builder before applying to the local government for a building permit. However, there are a number of exemptions where registration is not required. Please refer to 'Do I need to be a registered builder?' publication from the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety, building and energy consumer information.
Owner-builder work consists of the following:
Class 1a (i) building – a single dwelling, is a detached house. This includes an extension to a house or a habitable dwelling on the same property but separate to the main house such as a granny flat;
Class 10 building – being a non-habitable building such as a private garage, carport, shed or the like; or
Small commercial building – is a one or two-storey building with a floor space of less than 500m2 that is not a detached house, Class 10 building or farm building
Under the Building Services (Registration) Act 2011, owner-builders are required to obtain approval from the Building Services Board, administered by the Building Commission, before obtaining a building permit to carry out owner builder work on their land. Applicants are required to provide evidence of their ownership of the land and demonstrate that they have sufficient knowledge of the duties and responsibilities of an owner-builder.
Please visit the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety – Building Commission website for more information on Becoming an Owner-Builder. or download the Becoming an owner builder information sheet here
A useful link when planning to build is Dial-Before-You-Dig
For more information call 9941 0000 or email building@carnarvon.wa.gov.au
Water Corporation Approval
All building applications within reticulated water and/or sewer areas are to be lodged with the Water corporation by the applicant/builder for certification before submitting the building application.
Home Indemnity Insurance Certificate
All residential work valued over $20,000 (Not required by owner builder; please supply owner-builder certificate - more information below)
Home building Contracts Act 1991 defines residential building work to mean:
Construction of a new dwelling; extension or renovation of an existing dwelling; placing a dwelling on land; or construction, extension or renovation of multi-unit group homes (with exceptions) please see Act for further information.
Department of Fire and Emergency Service Approval (DFES)
Applies to all commercial buildings (over 500m2)
All commercial builds to be certified (BA1 Application for Building Permit - Certified)
Bushfire Attack Level Assessment
As of 8 April, a BAL or Bushfire Attack Level needs to be provided with your application. Click here for the link to the DFES Bushfire Prone Area Map
If any part of your property is within the pink area it will require BAL assessment. This applies to Class 1, 2 & 3 buildings (conditions apply) please consult a building surveyor for further information.
Currently, the Shire of Carnarvon does not have any trained Bushfire Consultants on staff, please follow this link to help find a provider within the region.
Building Services Levy
The Building Services Levy (BSL) applies to the majority of building applications issued by the Shire.
The table below shows the Building Services Levy (BSL) that is applicable to each type of building application. An Occupancy Permit application for a new building does not require a BSL payment. An application involving unauthorised building work attracts a higher level of payment.
the Building Services Levy is payable to the Shire of Carnarvon when the application is made and this payment passed onto the Building Commission on a monthly basis.
Notice of Completion
All works that require a building permit are required to submit a Notice of Completion. The Notice of Completion must be given to the relevent permit authority within seven (7) days of completion of the work, or the stage of work, for which the permit was granted.
A notice of completion must;
a) be in approved form.
b) state the work, or stage of the work, for which the permit was granted, is completed.
c) be accompanied by a copy of a certificate for each inspection or test that applies to the permit.
Submission of your BA7 Notice of Completion and relating documentation can be done via email to building@carnarvon.wa.gov.au
The BA7 Notice of Completion document is available on the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety website.