Absolutely Furious!!

We bought a block of land which included a plan with preliminary council approval. People in same development on block next to us have started building their house with a Bush Fire Approval rating = Low. I got a BFA rating Low report and submitted it with everything else for the Building Permit, and now the council are saying thats not good enough they had to send one of their own guys down to assess the block. He has judged that it is too close to an area of vegetation which may bump us into a higher rating zone. We are practically in the middle of a seaside town, with at least 3 existing older houses between us and this area, which is council land anyway, and exacrly the same distance as the house next door. They say just because that house was wrongly approved doesnt alter our reading. They have put it to the standards board to define certain wording on the bushfire ratings, but can't tell me when they meet, whether it is once a month or whenever. I am absolutely furious over this as it will bump the cost of our house through the roof if we have to put in all this ridiculous bushfire stuff that is meant for highly vegetated areas. Evidently the people in Marysville etc. arent rebuilding because of the cost of the new regulations.
 
gee that is unlucky fernfurn

sorry i cant offer any advice, but i would be interested to hear the outcome of this when you find out
 
use the word "precedent".

the "precedent" in the area is set. they now need to provide justification as to why they approved the other incorrectly (and be penalised under their regulatory body) or if the other is correct, why yours is being assessed differently.
 
Ask the neighbour nicely for a copy of his report and check a few other places out and I would also look at the precedent having been set. Or look at the criteria your place is been pitted against and ask council for their reasoning for a higher rating than all other places?

Can I ask what the difference between low and high is what do they want to be done to meet the high rating?

Brian
 
I understand your frustrations FF,

The RFS up here doesn't use precedents. I have been told that by their assessor. I just had to build to Level 1 standard. The council inspector turned up to do the frame inspection and the first thing he says is, "where's the bush"?
A little finger of regrowth was situated about 100m away with residential development between us and the bush. He was a good bloke and relaxed some of the requirements.

Try not to let it get you down. Just another wall to climb over. You will soon be walking right through those walls. Keep persisting and good luck.
 
I understand your frustrations FF,

The RFS up here doesn't use precedents. I have been told that by their assessor. I just had to build to Level 1 standard. The council inspector turned up to do the frame inspection and the first thing he says is, "where's the bush"?
A little finger of regrowth was situated about 100m away with residential development between us and the bush. He was a good bloke and relaxed some of the requirements.

Try not to let it get you down. Just another wall to climb over. You will soon be walking right through those walls. Keep persisting and good luck.

You should have just mowed down that bush beforehand :p
 
I am absolutely furious over this as it will bump the cost of our house through the roof if we have to put in all this ridiculous bushfire stuff that is meant for highly vegetated areas.
How much are we talking here though?
Is this your place or an IP?
Why would you second guess anything to keep you and your family safer? :confused:
 
You obviously didnt read my post thoroughly as of course I wouldnt put my family at risk, I wouldnt even build in a bushfire prone area, but the area they are talking about is a council reserve with mown grass and there is a treed area at one end. I have worked out last night what I did wrong. I thought because it was preliminarily approved by council they would issue a bldg permit easily but I have got a newbie too scared to make a decision and going into the permit to the inth degree. I should have gone to a private company and they would have been thorough and efficient and issued it without being pedantic about every full stop on the application.
 
I should have gone to a private company and they would have been thorough and efficient and issued it without being pedantic about every full stop on the application.

That's where the advantage is with T-P companies they can streamline everything and worth every cent,by using them in Brisbane you can have
DA building assessment approved by Council depending on the site within 5 working days, or sometimes up to 5 months if i did it myself would be the same down your way..imho..willair..
 
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