Knockdown rebuild in Wollongong: exempt, CDC or DA approvals

Whether you can knock down and rebuild in Wollongong depends on the approval pathway for your site. Here is how the pathways work.

The three approval pathways in NSW

NSW has three planning pathways. Exempt development needs no approval if it meets the standards set in the Codes SEPP or the local environmental plan (LEP). A complying development certificate (CDC) is a combined development approval and construction certificate, issued by a council or an accredited certifier. A development application (DA) is assessed on its merits by the council and is the slowest and most involved route. See exempt, CDC and DA pathways explained.

Which pathway applies to a Wollongong rebuild

NSW Planning says a complying development approval can be issued within 20 days if the proposal meets every relevant requirement in the Codes SEPP, and that a project which does not meet those standards has to go through the DA process. Which route a rebuild takes depends on the site: its zoning, lot size, any heritage or hazard overlays, and the controls of Wollongong City Council or the neighbouring council, such as Shellharbour City Council.

Where rebuilds happen across the Illawarra

Illawarra builders list knockdown rebuild work in suburbs such as Helensburgh, Fairy Meadow, Corrimal and Albion Park, as well as the coastal suburbs from Thirroul to Windang. The suburb matters because each council area has its own planning controls. Confirm your address is in the area a builder services before you go further.

What to do first

1. Get a land assessment, so the approval pathway is known before design starts.
2. Check whether a BASIX certificate is needed. BASIX applies to new homes.
3. Ask what the build contract will cover. See fixed-price building contracts in NSW.
4. Talk to a local builder about demolition, approvals and construction together, such as home builders in Wollongong.

Common questions