3 Things You Must Know Before Building in the Northern Beaches

Determining & Understanding Your Council Ward

The first thing you need to consider is which council ward inside the Northern Beaches area you reside in, as there are separate rules for Pittwater, Warringah and Manly. Each of these council wards has its own Development Control Plans (DCPs) and Local Environment Plans (LEPs) that govern housing restrictions in your area. The relevant LEP will determine zoning, permissible development, building height limits, floor space ratio and environmental constraints. The applicable DCP will determine the setbacks, building design, privacy, landscaping and parking requirements.

Lots in the Northern Beaches often have slopes, which can create problems with a new build. A maximum wall height of 7.2 meters, which can prove challenging on sloping sites, is why it’s essential to plan for this limitation. The best way to get an understanding of your lot’s terrain is to organise a land assessment from your builder and ideally work with a builder familiar with similar lots. At IMSU, we work on buildings all across the Northern Beaches, and we’ve found that the more we work on them, the better prepared we are to face challenges like these slopes.

Landscaping, Stormwater & On-Site Detention (OSD)

The Northern Beaches are beautiful and have been so for a long time, thanks to their stunning local flora and fauna, which is why Northern Beaches councils often opt for landscaping restrictions that preserve the natural beauty of the community. Whilst the exact dimensions differ, all of the council wards in the Northern Suburbs demand a minimum landscaped area. It’s also important to consider that part of preserving the local environment involves choosing responsible plant life, including desalinating plants, drought-tolerant species, and, where possible, existing mature trees. Alongside the landscaping, several restrictions have been implemented to ensure proper stormwater drainage in these councils. Using permeable surfaces such as dirt, substrates and the like, is often one of these requirements. Additionally, using on-site stormwater detention systems, which can temporarily hold stormwater runoff on a property and then release it slowly into the public drainage system, is a requirement in most councils.

Now that you understand the variety of requirements to get started building in the Northern Beaches, it’s time to start tackling the challenge. We recommend following this list of ways to prepare for a Northern Beaches Build, so that you can tackle it effectively: 

• Find your council ward on this map
• Download your applicable DCP and LEP here
• Find a builder local to the Northern Beaches
• Book a land assessment
• Start your build.