Gannawarra Shire Council's Building Department provide statutory building functions, which includes:
- Report and consent applications.
- Providing building information certificates.
- Enforcing compliance with the regulations.
- Investigating suspected non-compliance with the Building Act 1993.
- Utilising emergency powers to protect public safety.
In most instances, the answer to this question is yes. For more information on what building work constitutes a building permit please visit the Victorian Building Authority website.
Please note that due to a critical shortage of qualified and registered building professional staff in Victoria, Council no longer issues building permits.
If you require a building permit, you will need to engage the services of a private building surveyor. Please click here(PDF, 130KB) to view a list of private building surveyors in the region.
For more information regarding accessing a private building surveyor, please visit the Victorian Building Authority website.
The Building Act 1993 and the Building Regulations 2018 state a person must not carry out building work unless a building permit in relation to the work has been issued and is in force under this Act.
The following penalties may apply for carrying out building work prior to a building permit being issued:
- 500 penalty units (over $96,155), in the case of a natural person;
- 2500 penalty units (over $480,775), in the case of a body corporate.
Owners may also have difficulty selling their properties if they cannot provide details of all the building permits. This may incur considerable cost to have non-conforming building works rectified.
Copies of plans and other information from building files can be obtained on application to council.
If the applicant is not the owner of the property, then written consent from the owner of the property must be obtained and submitted with the application.
NOTE: A search and copy fee for this information will apply and applicants will be required to pay the search and copy fee before the information can be released. Applicants should allow at least 5 business days for this information to be accessed from Council’s archives. The application form can be found below or in the Building section of Council's Forms page.
Request to obtain copies of Building Plans and associated documents
Forms that can assist you in applying for permits/certificates can be found below or in the Building section of Council's Forms page. This includes permits relevant to your property or building permit such as:
- Applications for Report and Consent;
- Application for Occupancy Permit; and
- Building certificates for Regulation 51 (1), (2), (3) and LPOD Regulation 133 (2).
Requests for Private Builder Surveyors Permits - S80, S30, S72/72 - can be found on the Private Building Surveyors Portal section of this web page.
Property Enquiry Application Form – Reg 51 (1), (2), (3) and 133 (2)
Council enforces the Residential Tenancies (Caravan Parks and Movable Dwellings Registration and Standards) Regulations 2020 for all caravan parks within the Shire.
Approvals are required for unregistrable movable dwellings, rigid annexes and fly overs. A copy of the requirements for these structures and application form can be downloaded by clicking here.
Owners of buildings classes 2-9 (multi-storey dwelling units, motels, guest houses, offices, shops, warehouses, factories, hospitals, public buildings and schools) are required to maintain all the essential safety measures that are installed in a building. If your building was either constructed or altered after 1 July 1994 then all the essential safety measures will be listed on the occupancy permit including the requirements for the level and frequency of this maintenance.
For buildings that were constructed before 1 July 1994, any essential safety measures installed in the building will have to be maintained to ensure that it functions properly.
The Building Commission has produced an essential Safety Measures Maintenance Manual that lays out all the requirements and responsibilities of property owners. A copy can be downloaded from the Building Commission Website.
Building permits are required for all swimming pools and spas that have a depth of 300mm and are required to have safety barriers complying with AS1926.1. Building permits are required for both the pool, spa and safety barrier.
All pools and spas, regardless of when they were built are required by the Building Regulations 2018 to be fitted with a safety barrier complying with AS1926.1.
If you have an existing pool or spa that does not have a safety barrier then you are required to have a barrier installed. A building permit is required prior to erecting the safety fence.
Penalties of up to $10,000 may apply for property owners who do not comply with this requirement.
Once construction is complete and a Certificate of Final Inspection is issued you will be required to register your Swimming pool, Spa and Safety Barrier for mandatory inspections, once every four(4) years. Please click here for details regarding the registration process.
All of Gannawarra Shire Council is a designated termite prone area under Regulation 150 of the Building Regulations 2018.
Any person intending to carry out building works within the Shire will be required to implement construction techniques that help prevent infestation that meet the requirements of the Building Code of Australia.
In many cases a Planning Permit must be obtained prior to applying for a Building Permit. Buildings generally requiring a Planning Permit are those where the land may be flood prone, the construction of dwellings and farm sheds in rural areas and more than one dwelling on a lot. A Planning permit will also be required for most new and/or alterations/additions, including change of use to existing Classes 2-9 buildings.
Applicants should visit the Planning section of Council's website for more information regarding the requirements of a planning permit and contact the planning department prior to applying for a Building Permit.
Gannawarra Shire Council has shifted to applicant submission for Private Building Permits including S80, S30 and S73.
To submit all required documentation via Council's Greenlight portal, please click here.
With regards to payment of the statutory lodgement fee, please do so by one of the three following options:
- In person at 47 Victoria Street Kerang or 23 King Edward Street Cohuna (cash, cheque, card);
- By mail to PO Box 287 KERANG 3579 (cheque); or
- Phoning (03) 5450 9333 (card)
If you have any trouble or questions about submitting through the applicant portal please contact councils Building Department on (03) 5450 9333 or email council@gsc.vic.gov.au, attention Building Department.