Central Coast Pools: Navigating the Approval Process with Ease

Here are the steps you will need to take to get approval to build a pool. There are two pathways for approval - Complying Development or council approval consisting of Development Approval + Construction Certificate. Complying development is always preferred where possible.

Council Fees for swimming pools can be found in the Fee and Charges pdf here. Fees are based on cost of works, a council guide to the cost of works can be found here. Below is a table comparing the different fees for the different approval processes.

Part A - Apply for a DA

1. Apply for a informal formal GIPA (informal government information public access request)  though the Central Coast Council, here is a link. Under other documents request any previous plans, reports and DAs submitted on the site. This may give you the original plans and does not cost you anything.

2. Check if you are prone to flooding or bushfire. If you are prone to flooding you will need to get a flood information certificate. If you are bushfire prone, you will need to get a bushfire report. Here is a guide to finding out if your site is subject to flooding. Here is a guide to find out if your site is prone to bushfires.

3. Get a survey. This means that you know where your boundaries are, what the level of everything is and where your existing building is located on the site. Council usually requires this to be submitted with the DA. This will also show the location of existing services so that you do not plan to build over a sewer main which can be expensive. Surveyors that we have found to be good in the past include: Clarke Dowdle & Associates and Intrax.

4. Get a Geotech if required. For pools, we generally wait for council to request this as an RFI, they will normally only do this if you are in an area with very reactive soils. Geotech we have found to be good in the past include: Douglas Partners and 5QS.

5. Get Architectural Drawings done. These will be for Development Approval and will include everything required on the DA Council Checklist. This generally includes plans, elevations and sections. The level of material detail is relatively simple, generally council want to know what external materials will be used.

6. Submit the DA to Council. Council may also request other consultants depending on the project and the zoning, for example they may request an arborist report if you are removing trees or you may need to get a bushfire report if you are in a bushfire zone. For bushfire advice and reports Clarke Dowdle & Associates is generally good.

Part B - Apply for a CC

1. After council approves your DA they will provide you with conditions of consent. Go through these to get a better sense of what you need to provide for the DA. Some common conditions of consent for pools include: submit a Section 305 application for a 306 Requirements Letter - this will have additional charges or conditions that you will need to pay for.

2. Update the plans with the DA conditions.

3. Send the updated plans to a structural engineer and get them to design the structure. Structural engineers we've worked with in the past include: 5QS and Geotron. Allow around $2,000 for this.

4. Co-ordinate the structure into the Architectural plans and provide a finer level of detail including wall types and concrete setout plans.

5. Fulfill any other conditions in the conditions of consent.

6. Engage a certifier, either council or a private certifier to approve the Construction Certificate.

Alternative preferred Pathway - Complying Development

If possible it is always better to go through the complying development pathway, it is faster and less expensive. The downside is it is very restrictive, there is no way to vary the standard so if you want to build something slightly outside the required setback and heights then you need to do a DA/ CC

Here is the NSW guide to complying development for pools. You will also need to have your engineering done to apply for the complying development certificate, allow around $2.000 for this. Structural engineers we've worked with in the past include: 5QS and Geotron.

In general, these are the standard that you must meet to submit a complying development application for a swimming pool:

3.28   Development standards for swimming pools

(1)  A swimming pool must be for private use and associated with a dwelling house.

(2)  Water from a swimming pool must be discharged in accordance with an approval under the Local Government Act 1993 if the lot is not connected to a sewer main.

(3)  The pump must be housed in an enclosure that is soundproofed.

(4) Height of coping and decking Coping around a swimming pool must not be more than—

(a)  1.4m above ground level (existing), and

(b)  300mm wide if the coping is more than 600mm above ground level (existing).

(5)  Decking around a swimming pool must not be more than 600mm above ground level (existing).

(6)  A swimming pool must be located behind the building line of the dwelling house.

(7)  The swimming pool water line must have a setback of at least 1m from a side or rear boundary.

(7A)  The minimum setback for a swimming pool from a secondary road is the setback of the dwelling house from the secondary road.

(8) Heritage conservation areas Despite subclauses (6) and (7), if the swimming pool is being constructed in a heritage conservation area or a draft heritage conservation area the swimming pool must be located—

(a)  behind the building line of the dwelling house that is adjacent to the rear boundary of the lot, and

(b)  no closer to each side boundary than the dwelling house.

Note 1—

Building line, dwelling house, heritage conservation area and setback are defined in clause 1.5.

Note 2—

Ground level (existing) and landscaped area have the same meanings as they have in the Standard Instrument.

Note 3—

A child-resistant barrier must be constructed or installed in accordance with the requirements of the Swimming Pools Act 1992.

Note 4—

Requirements relating to excavation for the purposes of a swimming pool are set out in clause 3.30.

The consultants mentioned above have been good to work with in the past, we can't guarantee how your experience with them will go in the future though, it often depends on the person you are working with and what is happening with them as well. We have mentioned them only because our past experience with them has been positive, we cannot guarantee anyone else's will be.

This article was written in 2023 - council fees may be higher if reading this at a later date. Refer back to the current Central Coast Council Fee and Charges.