Subdivisions are costly and time consuming, yet with substantial investment there is potential for significant returns. Choosing the right team for your Brisbane subdivision investment can be the difference between a successful outcome vs. a painful and costly exercise. This article is to provide some insight to the Brisbane Subdivision process to help you determine if it may be a worthwhile option to explore.

When considering a property for potential subdivision there are a few considerations that help the professionals quickly determine whether you have an easy subdivision on your hands or something more complex, costly or preventative, these include:

• Zoning
• Size
• Infrastructure
• Overlays
• Restrictions

Knowing the existing conditions of your property can help you decide whether to proceed with a purchase of a property and/or proceed with subdividing. It is worth noting Brisbane subdivision applications rejected through council generally result in forfeit of part or all of your application fees; easily avoided with the right advice early on.

Brisbane Subdivision Application Process

Brisbane subdivision applications undergo Council’s initial assessment process; this is carried out to determine if all required documentation has been provided with your application, anything outstanding will result in a request for information from council, council requests will come with a specific time-frame for completion, failure to comply can result in the cancellation of your application and forfeit of application fees.

Subdivision applications are assessed against relevant legislation and regulations by council, once applications have been assessed a decision notice will be issued by council either rejecting your application or approving with conditions.

Expect Approval Conditions

Approval conditions are separated into general planning requirements, engineering requirements, standard advice, and concurrence agency requirements.

General planning requirements are works that can be carried out without prior approval from council and can include removal of existing structures, pools, concrete, foundations and footings, erection of fencing or driveways laid. Operational Works cover the engineering and concurrence agency components of approval conditions.

Operational works can encompass one or all of the following areas:

• Land Clearing
• Earthworks
• Road Works
• Water Reticulation
• Sewer Reticulation
• Stormwater Reticulation
• Electrical Reticulation
• Tidal Works

Engagement of engineering is required to complete these works, depending on requirements some work may be ‘self-assessable’ though rare, generally plans need to be prepared for operational works and lodged with council accompanied by associated fees prior to commencing.

Approval conditions provide you with a scope of work for completion in order to meet council subdivision requirements. Contractors will need to be engaged to complete work and provide the relevant permits / certificates to demonstrate council’s subdivision conditions have been satisfied.

Ensuring the scope of work and relevant permits / certificates are provided on completion of your applicable contractors work is of paramount importance to the success of your application. Nobody wants to pay for work that is not required and rework to ‘make-good’ any work deemed incomplete by council will only contribute time and costs to your overall subdivision project.

Providing a copy of your subdivision decision notice along with plans can help guide contractors, some required work may require a specific license (rather than a general license) to be held by your contractor and without the correct licensing your certificates received on completion of work will not satisfy council’s subdivision conditions, licensed contractors without subdivision experience may not be aware of these requirements.

With the right contractors engaged, their availability identified and work schedules in place the remainder of your subdivision project can be time framed.

Finalizing your Brisbane Subdivision application

On completion of council’s subdivision approval conditions your application can be finalized. To finalize your subdivision plans need to be sealed and titles registered; for the sealing of plans you will need to complete final forms, lodgment documentation and pay the required fees with your relevant council, these include:

• Appropriate Certificates required to meet approval conditions
• Compliance Report
• Final Survey Plan
• Appropriate Council Lodgment Forms
• Payment of Lodgment Fees
• Payment of Required Contributions

On the sealing of your plans you will be issued with new house numbering by council for the existing and new lots created with your only remaining task to register your titles.

Title registration involves cancelling the existing title and registering the titles of the new lots with your new survey plan numbers. There is a timeframe for the title registration from plan sealing and is recommended for Brisbane properties to have completed this within 6 months of sealing to avoid additional fees.

Brisbane properties comes in all shapes and sizes and at SEQ Building Design our strength comes from knowing what can be achieved, every project we manage is done so with the minimum of expense, while keeping you informed every step of the process.

With an experienced operator on your side, the complex regulatory requirements associated with Brisbane subdivisions are handled efficiently.

If you have a Brisbane sub-division project you would like to discuss?
Contact the team at SEQ Building Design today on 07 3257 7224