For building approvals on development that is not purely residential in nature (a dwelling or shed/garage etc), quite often a planning approval is required by the local authority. Generally, the approval that is required is referred to as a Material Change of Use (MCU). An MCU is an action such as “making a material change of use”. The Sustainable Planning Act 2009 defines what an MCU is and by using our LINK to this legislation, a detailed definition can be found. Put simply, an MCU application is required to be submitted to the local authority if the proposal involves –

A new use of the existing development or site; or

The re-commencement of an abandoned use; or

An increase in the intensity or scale of an existing use.

The local authorities planning scheme identifies if an MCU is required and the level of assessment which is either Code or Impact. Burnett Country Certifiers can advise you if a planning application or any other additional application is required before we can issue a building application. In addition, we can lodge an application on your behalf on certain development or we can arrange for a consultant town planner to prepare and submit the application on your behalf. We have been successfully obtaining planning approvals for clients for over 8 years now and regard this as part of our normal business practice.

 

← Building Approvals Building Approval Inspections →