Planning permission for an observatory

[OneCosmos]

Hi,

Inadvertently I created a thread about this under observational astronomy, which may yet elicit some responses but thought I should find a more appropriate home. This is a DIY observatory section so may not be correct either but.....

I have finally bought a Sirius Observatories 2.3m dome, which achieves a max height of 2.8m.

It will sit on a slab 3m x 2.5m in my back garden in Nundah. I just went to the Brisbane council website and used the wizard tool (or erecting a shed), which told me I didn't. The reason for my uncertainty though is there was nothing that asked specifically about the height, other than to ask if it was two or more stories - which of course it is not.

When we had the fence put up though because the 1.8m fence was also on top of a 1m retaining wall in the far corner we needed to apply for a height relaxation. Does anyone know if height of an observatory is covered by legislation?

Chris

[rustigsmed]

Hi Chris,

I'd ring the council for an answer. just don't use the words 'observatory' but keep it as a 'shed'.

Cheers

Russ

[Dealy]

In Newcastle there is a height limit of <3m without planning permission.

So I dare say Brisbane will have limits as well.

[thunderchildobs]

Remember to check where the sewage pipes are. You cannot build on top or to close to them.

[OneCosmos]

I know that there is a sewerage inspection point about 1.6m from the eastern fence but don't think the slab would actually run over the top of them.

[JoelyE95]

Chris,

Under the 2014 Town Plan, it would likely come under "Domestic Outbuilding".

Domestic Outbuilding - "A Class 10a building, as defined in the Building Code of Australia, that is ancillary to a residential use on the same premises and is limited to non-habitable buildings for the purpose of a shed, garage and carport."

Furthermore, the max height is 2.4m with an average height of 2.1m. Obviously this dome exceeds this, so you would need to consult with a Private Building Certifier for any structure assessable against the Building Act 1975. This would require at a minimum a good, clear sketch of your proposal and intent to be able to get assessed. Upon completion, you will then be issued with a new Certificate of Classification for the premises. Without this, Council can issue you with a "Show Cause Notice". If you can not show cause and gain approval, they can then make you pull the structure down.

Joel

Caveat - I am in the developing, building and construction industry and know what is required, however you should conduct your own searches with Council and the Certifier to get an approval. I know of one nearby that should be able to help you out.

[RobF]

Chris, after the conflicting info and various interactions we had planning our house 10 years ago, I would 2nd the private certifier route. Sounds expensive, but even if you present at a Council front desk (or over phone), its hard to hold them to any advice you get as nothing is in writing. You'll also know exactly where you stand if a neighbour does raise a challenge.

[OneCosmos]

Oh dear, it sounds like it may be a long, protracted and expensive business getting approval. By all means if you know someone who can help then please PM me with the details.

I may need a plan B

[h0ughy]

I know of one old astronomer in the brisvagus region that followed my lead - just build yours and make it bulletproof, hefty base and because it gets a little windy sometimes make sure you have tie downs etc and get on with your neighbours. make the base no larger than 3x3 - gets under the 10m2 limit - the rest you know if you followed the doghouse thread

[RobF]

Most private certifiers don't mess around telling you if something is ok. It may well be you don't have to get anything else from the council depending on what they say.

[lazjen]

I've been through this earlier this year. I got in contact with the Council and discussed the issue with someone in the planning department. I was informed that I needed to comply with section 9.3.7 of the Brisbane City Plan 2014 (http://eplan.brisbane.qld.gov.au/) - I believe it's classed as a Domestic Outbuilding.

According to my notes height was not a problem (see PO2 in Table 9.3.7.3) and I explicitly mentioned it to the planner (since I have the 3.5m dome and it's 3.2m tall). The most concern they had was PO4 and PO5 from that same table - essentially you can't make water run off / flow worse than it currently is now. I was lucky in that putting down my slab would actually improve my water flow across the lot and reduce the impact on my neighbour.

The above was based on my area/zone - you need to consider that when going through the material. And you have to read the other sections in the document to ensure "self-assessable" applies to you.

Really, the best thing to do is phone the Council (there's a number on the site somewhere) and discuss the situation. I was pleasantly surprised at how well that went. :)