State government legislation allowing developers to by-pass Council building regulations is likely to be re-introduced after July. Last year when the new Code was introduced, Councils resisted the policy eventually seeing it shelved for twelve months.

The new Code is designed to make it easier for developers to build terraces and other medium density housing in traditional areas by a process known as ‘Complying Development‘. This bypasses Council. Instead Private Certifiers paid by the developer decide if the development should be approved. The first you may know about a development next to you is when you are advised that work is about to commence. There is no requirement that you be consulted prior to approval being granted.

Fortunately, perhaps, the Code will only apply in areas already zoned for medium-density