Building Applications

Rezoning land means changing the use of the subject land from its original purpose. There are six (6) major land zones under which different land uses are classified in accordance with the Town Planning Act General Provisions. These are:

• • Master planning (large scale building developments)
  • New building structure
  • Residential (single to multi-unit, strata, low cost housing, shop house etc)
  • Commercial (retail/ wholesale, eco parks, business parks)
  • Industrial (warehouse, heavy & noxious, aquifers, asphalts, aquaculture)
  • Integrated tourism development (hotel/resort, etc…)
  • Extension to existing structures
  • Regularization of existing structures
  • Poultry/ Piggery
  • Fencing
  • Excavation, stockpiling
  • Taxi/rental/hire base
  • Conditional developments (dairy shop, homestay, boarding house etc.)

Outline application is the submission of on- site development proposals which will be determined at a later stage. Consent in principle is granted to Outline development proposals, indicating to the developer the level of studies and the mandatory stakeholder conditions that are to be met prior to finalization of their development plan. Complex and high value developments are advised to forward an Outline Application.

Once Consent in Principle is granted to Outline Applications, a developer is requested to submit the detailed application, which is the finalized plan. The detailed application should have incorporated wholly/ partly conditions of consent drawn during Outline Planning stage.

All requests for relaxations of building conditions of consent are to be submitted through respective Councils, with justifications, to the Director of Town and Country Planning.

The Director, upon receipt of the request, will re-assess the merits of the proposal and justifications submitted, prior to exercising his powers as per Provision 6 of the Town Planning Act.

Major developments with the value of $1m and above are advised to submit an Outline Application for consideration, prior to examination of Detailed plans.

For developments, on land area of 10ha and above, a Master Plan is required with development guidelines and will need to be registered under a Corporate body

Before constructing a structure, the building plans must be assessed and approved by the Department. The building approval process is:

1. 1. Lodge a rezoning application with the relevant Municipal Council with the relevant forms and documents
   2. The Municipal Council forwards the application to the Department of Town & Country Planning for the Director’s consent
   3. The building application is processed by an officer in accordance to the Town Planning Act General Provisions and comments from other agencies
   4. For outline building applications, the Director consents in principle subject to conditions
   5. For detailed applications, the Director consents subject to conditions or refuses, whereby the applicant can make necessary amendments and re-submit the application