It is not uncommon that during the course of construction of a development, for whatever reason, a change is required to the landscaping. This is reasonable but the change may also require approval from the Consent Authority before the works can commence.

The issues that need to be considered include:

• Who is the Consent Authority (either the Local Council or Local Certification)?
• Has the development been approved under a Development Consent or with a Complying Development Certificate?
• Is the approved Landscape Plan affected by a condition on the Development Consent?
• Is the approved Landscape Plan subject to the Estate’s Developer Approval?
• How complex is the Landscape Plan ? That is, has the plan been designed and certified by a;
  • Landscape Architect,
  • Arborist,
  • Horticulturalist,
  • or the like.

In light of these considerations, any change to an approved Landscape Plan will require a thorough assessment of the new proposal and may also require the amendment to a Development Consent (DA) and/or Development Certificate.

Prepare a design for the proposed change

• Consideration will not be given to a proposed change unless it is clearly outlined on a plan.
• The plan should show the area of the landscaping components and the types of plants affected by the change (i.e. species, mature heights, plant locations, lawn areas, etc)
• If the original Landscape Plan was prepared and certified by Accredited Landscape Architect, Arborist, Horticulturalist or the like, the amended plan will also need to be prepared by a person with similar qualifications and be accompanied by the appropriate certificate.

Submit the Proposal

• The proposed design must be submitted to the Principal Certifier for consideration.

Fees and Charges

• Before any consideration of the proposed change, your Certifier will advise you of the applicable fees. In the event that a Development Certificate Fee or a Local Government Registration Fee is required, this fee must be paid prior to the release of any advice, opinion or approval of any proposed change.

Expectations

• Consideration of any application to change a Landscape Plan will require at least five (5) full working days from the date that the email was received.
• The Registered Certifier provides no guarantee that the proposed changes will be approved.