Queensland building legislation stipulates the extent of work that can be carried out without a building approval. It is worth noting that although a building approval is not required, the legislative requirements for construction must still be satisfied. A brief summary of the work outlined in Schedule 1 includes:
- A fence no higher than 2m above natural ground level (as long as it is not part of a pool enclosure)
- Non-load bearing devices including (max 3.5m above natural ground level if attached to building or structure or max 10m above natural ground level if detached from any building or structure):
- an aerial;
- an antenna;
- a satellite dish with a maximum diameter of 900mm;
- a flagpole, mast or tower, outside areas covered by airport Obstacle Limitation Surfaces Standards (O.L.S.) of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority.
- A retaining wall up to 1m high (in cut or fill from the natural ground surface) if:
- There is no surcharge loading in the zone of influence of the wall.
- The wall is no closer than 1.5m to another wall or building.
- The wall does not form part of a pool enclosure.
- Class 10 buildings or structures (such as carports, patios, pergolas, shed, garage) that are not subject to the following:
- within Wind Region C (tropical cyclone area)mentioned in AS 1170.2 SAA Wind Loading Code; or
- for a rainwater tank for a new building; or
- for a deck that is roofed or higher than 1m above the deck’s natural ground surface;
- The Class 10 building or structure must also meet the following requirements:
- the plan area of the class 10 is no more than 10m2; and
- the class 10 has, above its natural ground surface—
- a height of no more than 2.4m; and
- if the class 10 is not a rainwater tank—a mean height of no more than 2.1m, worked out by dividing its total elevational area facing the boundary by its horizontal length facing the boundary; and
- any side of the class 10 is no longer than 5m.
This is a summary only of some of the items contained in Schedule 1 that are commonly asked about. Please refer to the Schedule for clarification on other items or contact Apex Certification and Consulting to discuss your project if you are uncertain.