My Home & Yard

Your home and yard are probably the biggest investment you have, you invest not only money but your time to attain a comfortable standard of living. Your home is your sanctuary from the world and the place you need to be able to relax and enjoy.

Fences

Boundary fences hightlight the boundaries of your property and can assist with the provision of privacy. Council has rules about the height and materials that may be used for boundary fencing.

The Dividing Fences Act 1991 sets the requirements regarding ownership and contributions to construction or repair of boundary fencing. Council does not administer the Dividing Fences Act 1991, for assistance visit NSW Department of Lands .

Building

Maintaining our home and yard is a labour of love as is improving your home and lifestyle. When you are making improvements to your home you may need to get approval , some work does not require approval. Sheds for example, do not require approval when they are:

Free standing and pre-fabricated
Maximum floor area 10m2
Maximum height of 2.1m
Located behind the building line of the main building and generally obscured from public places
One (shed) building only on the land
May be constructed over sewer mains on condition that the building can be easily relocated, and does not obstruct access to sewer or stormwater pits or boundary shafts
No nuisance is created by stormwater
Not over sewer overflow gullies and provision is made for access to sewer inspection openings.

You need to check the 'Orange Development Control Plan 1/99 - Exempt and Complying Development' to see if the work you are thinking about requires approval. If the work fits the 'exempt criteria' it does not require approval.

Building Disputes and Resolutions

An 'early intervention' dispute resolution process is available when builders or clients are having trouble communicating effectively with each other, visit The Department of Fair Trading for further information.

Before you Dig

Before commencing work whether you have approval or not, you need to consider the services contected to your property and where these are located. For non-council services refer to www.dialbeforeyoudig.com.au . You are able to purchase a sewer drainage diagram from Council, the cost is $82.50 or if you require the diagram in a hurry the cost is an additional $42.35 to ensure issue within a maximum of 24 hours. Just download the form, complete details and supply payment and the Diagram will be supplied to you within 2-7 days (depending on access to the site). Stormwater drainage is sometimes included on the sewer diagrams however often there has been no plan supplied to Council at the time of installation so you will need to dig carefully to located the pipes....

Landscaping

As a homeowner you are responsible for the landscaping of your property. Landscaping may include paving, landshaping, retaining walls and planting. The following information has been compiled to highlight some of the issues that require your attention and consideration before you begin.

Drainage

Drainage of the site is the most important aspect to take into account when landscaping.

Effective stormwater drainage systems need to be incorporated into your landscaping design to ensure to prevent potential forms of water damage to your home and surrounding houses.

Essentially, you need to ensure that water is directed away from the dwelling. You need to consider the overall shape of your land and how the rainwater can naturally leave the site.

If your land slopes to the street you simply need to ensure that all surface water is directed around the house to the street gutter.

If your land slopes away from the street, you need to consider how to direct the flow of rainwater in a way (to an interallotment drainage pit or an easement) that does not create flooding or damage to neighbouring properties.

Footpaths and Paving

When creating pathways or paved areas you need to carefully consider where water is being directed. Hard surfaces need to be installed to move water away from the dwelling and the footings, weepholes and doorways in particular.

The photo shows an example of where the paving covers almost all of the weepholes, this can cause damage in two ways: from moisture within the building not being able to escape via the weepholes and, if a large volume of water is directed into the weepholes water may enter the interior of the house.

Weep Holes

If your house is of single brick construction it has gaps in the lower courses of brickwork called 'weepholes'. The weepholes are required by the Building Code of Australia to allow cavity ventilation and drainage from between the brickwork and the frame.

When landscaping your property you need to ensure that surface water is not permitted to enter the weepholes because the water may continue over the frame and into the house and carpets may be damaged.

Any earthworks or paving must be graded away from the dwelling to direct the water away from the dwelling.

Drains

All grated stormwater drains located on your land must be kept clear of debris and remain as the destination for stormwater. Large interlotment drains are designed to take the stormwater and need to be kept clear.

Often small pit drains will be installed on your property, you need to be concious of the capacity of the pit in a heavy downpour.

Simple dishdrains are easily incorporated into your landscaping to divert water to a suitable location.

Footings

The footings to your dwelling need to be protected to retain structural integrity. Keeping water away from the footings is important, concrete needs to have minimal variation in the soil moisture level. It is recommended that you locate footpaths and paved areas close to the house to move water away from the footings.

Retaining Walls

When building retaining walls you must follow the maunfacturers instructions. Drainage of stormwater can cause problems with retaining walls, the water can be directed in a way that causes damage to property and also the retaining wall can be damaged.

Gardens and Trees

Try to plant only the parts of your garden that require light watering, such as lawn, close to your home. Avoid establishing garden beds that require heavy watering against the concrete footing system of the house because excessive water can swell the concrete and create damage. The use of native plants can reduce the amount of water needed by the garden.