- 4 steps to acquiring a Construction Certificate and Development Application approval in Sydney
- How to achieve a cost-effective building design
- Draft Local Environmental Plan now on exhibition for the City of Parramatta Council
- Changes to Home Building Act now in effect
- New Housing Diversity SEPP to hinder build-to-rent and seniors housing developments
- Update on developer contributions
- Low Rise Housing Diversity Code now operating in all NSW local government areas
- NCC 2019 Amendment 1 has taken effect!
- The Residential Apartment Buildings (Compliance and Enforcement Powers) Act 2020 (NSW)
- Changes to what is deemed "physical commencement"
- COVID-19 buys time on DA process
- Alternative assessment introduced for large boarding houses
- Draft Design and Building Practitioners Bill 2019
- Canterbury LEP changes to Boarding Houses
- The Low Rise Medium Density Housing Code (MDHC) has been deferred again
- Changes to Certifiers' compliance powers and new provisions for CC's and OC's
- The Low Rise Medium Density Housing Code has been deferred
- NCC 2019 has taken effect!
- The introduction of the Options Paper - ‘Improving Certifier Independence’
- NSW Combustible Cladding Regulation
- IHAPS to be introduced for all Sydney Councils
- New simplified housing code
- BASIX energy targets to change
- Guide to building tolerances is released
- General Housing Code changes
- Introduction of the Inland Housing Code for Complying Development
- Complying development for dual occupancies and townhouses
- Positive changes to Home Building Compensation Fund
- New online planning tools
- BCA 2015
- Swimming Pools are now required to be registered
- NSW Government releases green paper
- BASIX Certificates are no longer free
- SEPP (Affordable Rental Housing) 2009 Amendment 2011
Changes to what is deemed "physical commencement" - 15 May, 2020
New criterion for ‘Physical Commencement’ could see rise in lapsing development consents
While many recent changes to legislation in the construction and land development industries have sought to improve the economic effects of COVID-19, a significant amendment to the Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulation 2000 (NSW) (EPA Reg) has seen the barrier to ‘physical commencement’ heightened. The aim is to ensure that there is sufficient intention to see a project through to completion, however it may have more far-reaching implications, potentially slowing the industry with a rise in lapsing development consents.
The new guidelines will only affect development consents granted from 15 May 2020 and onwards. Those issued before this date will remain unimpacted.
Out with the old
In 1999, the term “substantial commencement” was replaced by “physical commencement” in the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (NSW) (EPA Act). The intention was to relax the prerequisites that prevented a development consent from lapsing. At this time, the term was applied very broadly to include any “building, engineering or construction work relating to the building, subdivision or work”. In 2009, this section of the EPA Act was further clarified by the NSW Court of Appeal to “include all those activities associated with, and forming a necessary part of, the discipline of engineering”. Up until 15 May 2020, these included simple works like physical surveying and other geotechnical investigative tasks. Now however, it is much more difficult to obtain ‘physical commencement’.
In with the new
These new changes appear to be counterintuitive to recent amendments in the EPA Act that aim to alleviate time pressures and allow the land and development industries to move past the impact of COVID-19. Instead, developers and landowners now face several other hurdles to ‘physical commencement’. As of 15 May 2020, the following works that could be completed before a construction certificate was issued will no longer constitute ‘physical commencement’:
· Creating a bore hole for soil testing
· Removing water or soil for testing
· Carrying out survey work, including the placing of pegs or other survey equipment
· Acoustic testing
· Removing vegetation as an ancillary activity
· Marking the ground to indicate how land is to be developed
This amendment presents a more complex process to activating a development consent and may hinder or prevent some developments from even going ahead.
What now?
There is still some ambiguity around what is now classified as ‘physical commencement’ so it is best to seek legal advice or to consult your Certifier regarding the new minimum criterion for ‘physical commencement’. If you’ve found yourself affected by these changes, ES Design will be happy to walk you through available options to ensure your development consent does not lapse.
- 4 steps to acquiring a Construction Certificate and Development Application approval in Sydney - 2 Feb, 2021
- How to achieve a cost-effective building design - 27 Jan, 2021
- Draft Local Environmental Plan now on exhibition for the City of Parramatta Council - 2 Sep, 2020
- Changes to Home Building Act now in effect - 31 Aug, 2020
- New Housing Diversity SEPP to hinder build-to-rent and seniors housing developments - 24 Aug, 2020
- Update on developer contributions - 22 Jul, 2020
- Low Rise Housing Diversity Code now operating in all NSW local government areas - 1 Jul, 2020
- NCC 2019 Amendment 1 has taken effect! - 1 Jul, 2020
- The Residential Apartment Buildings (Compliance and Enforcement Powers) Act 2020 (NSW) - 10 Jun, 2020
- Changes to what is deemed "physical commencement" - 15 May, 2020