Information can be obtained as to whether a proposed building or land is in an area declared as liable to flooding, uncontrolled overland drainage, termite infestation or bushfire in accordance with Building Regulation 51(2).
This information can be obtained by completing a "Request building regulations certificate - Property inquiry application", selecting "Building Regulation 326(2) on the form and paying the relevant fee.
All storm water collected from a lot must be discharged to a "Stormwater legal point of discharge" specified by Loddon Shire Council. The legal point of discharge may be located in the road reserve, in an easement or on site within the allotment boundaries so as not to cause a nuisance to neighbouring properties.
Site drainage is the responsibility of property owners and is required to be installed by a licensed plumber.
To obtain more information regarding the location of the legal point of discharge, applicants are required to contact Council's Building Services.
This information can be obtained by completing an "Application for location of storm water point of discharge" and paying the relevant fee.
Before commencing any excavation works you must be certain of the location of all underground services. Dial Before You Dig is an Australia-wide community service than can assist in the location of underground services and hence minimise the likelihood of any damage to the services arising from excavation works.
Further information can be obtained by dialling 1100 or visiting the website.
Details of any easements that may exist on a property will appear on the certificate of title and title plan for a property. Land set aside for easements will show any dimensions relevant to the easement and specify the type of easement and who has control over the easement. Easements are usually reserved for the location of services.
A structure, such as a dwelling, garage, shed, verandah, fence etc., cannot be located over an easement without prior consent from the party that the easement will benefit or favour. Where a property contains a drainage easement, the owner of the property must, prior to locating any structures over the easement, make an application for Council report and consent from Council's Building Services under the Building Regulations 2018.
An application to build over a Council easement can be made clicking by completing the "Application for report and consent - non siting matters" and paying the relevant fee.
Other easements that may appear on a title include sewage, water, electricity, gas and telephone. Consent must be obtained from the relevant authority in whom the easement is in favour of prior to the approval of any buildings over such an easement.
Loddon Shire is a designated termite prone area under Regulation 150 of the Building Regulations 2018.
Any person intending to carry out building works within the municipality will be required to carry out termite protection measures that meet the requirements of the National Construction Code and the Building Code of Australia to reduce the risk of infestation with termites.
Further information on the various categories of building practitioner can be found on the Victorian Building Authority website.
The Building Regulations 2018 outline the various categories and classes of building practitioners. The ability to be registered is based upon the nature and extent of the practitioner's qualifications and experience. The following categories and classes of building practitioners are some of the practitioners that are currently required to be registered with the BPB:
- building surveyor (unlimited/limited)
- building inspector (unlimited/limited)
- quantity surveyor
- engineer (civil/mechanical/electrical/fire safety)
- draftsperson (building design - architectural, interior, services)
- builder (commercial builder - unlimited/limited)
- builder (domestic builder - unlimited/limited/manager)
- builder (demolisher - low rise buildings/medium rise buildings/unlimited)
- erector or supervisor (temporary structures - class 1 and 2).
In line with the 2009 Victoria Bushfires Royal Commission (VBRC) recommendation, extensive state-wide mapping has been undertaken to designate bushfire prone areas for building homes. The Minister for Planning has determined that specific areas are designated bushfire prone areas (BPA) using the best available science taking into account factors such as weather, topography and vegetation and provides a more targeted approach to the protection of Victorians. The majority of Loddon Shire, with the exception of a small area in Boort is in a designated bushfire prone area. A site specific Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) assessment report must be included with any application for domestic building work (includes sheds, garages located less than 6m from a dwelling or domestic building)
In addition to the construction measures necessary for the BAL specified for the building, the VBA and Council recommends the following to reduce the risk of damage to homes in bushfire prone areas:
- ensure you will have suitable defendable space about your proposed dwelling by removing any overhanging tree branches, take out shrubs over 1 metre high, keep grass short and clean up debris about your proposed building site that could easily catch fire.
- download the Country Fire Authority (CFA) fire ready kit form their website or by calling the Victorian Bushfire Information Line on 1800 240 667 for a copy.
- ensure you have a bushfire survival plan in place and practice it regularly
- get involved in community meetings about fire preparedness in the neighbourhood. Go to the CFA website for meeting details.
For further information please visit the CFA website and the VBA website.
Please note:
The measures contained in Australian Standard (AS) 3959 - Construction of Buildings in Bushfire Prone Areas cannot guarantee that a building will survive a bushfire event on every occasion. This is substantially due to the unpredictable nature and behaviour of fire and extreme weather conditions.
The Loddon Shire planning scheme includes area of the municipality that are covered by a Bushfire Management Overlay (BMO). In this instance a planning permit may be required and the BAL specified in the planning permit must be accepted by the relevant building surveyor when assessing an application for building permit.