How many people are not aware that council approval is currently required for the installation or replacement of “a domestic oil or solid fuel heating appliance, other than a portable appliance”? If you’ve put your hand up, I can assure you that you’re not alone.
Interestingly, this is not a requirement associated with a normal development covered by the Environmental Planning & Assessment Act, or the Palerang Local Environmental Plan, it is actually a requirement under the Local Government Act (Section 68, Part F). At one level, that’s a technicality, because regardless of which piece of legislation is involved, the manner in which this issue is regulated is determined by council policy, in this case the Palerang Development Control Plan (PDCP).
I mentioned the new PDCP in my last post, and I thought this provided a good example of what sort of thing appears in a DCP and why people might be interested in reviewing the draft that is about to go on exhibition.
Getting down to the nitty gritty, we are not talking about development consent for the use of a heater in a house, which one could reasonably expect to cover replacements or possibly relocations, both of which fall under the same piece of legislation. It is all about the installation of the heater and the approval process is intended to ensure that the appliance is installed correctly so houses don’t burn down through lack of separation from or shielding of combustible surfaces.
Some councils, for example, require the installation to be carried out by a licensed installer—if you’re interested, you can check the currency and category of any contractor’s or tradesperson’s licence on-line at onegov.nsw.gov.au. Others simply require an applicant to demonstrate that an installation is consistent with the manufacturer’s specifications. The requirements to be specified in the PDCP are still to be finalised, but the objective is simply to ensure that solid fuel heaters are safe and efficient.
While this discussion about the nature of an approval may seem very pedantic, this is precisely the sort of argument that arises when an insurance company seeks to establish fault with respect to a claim. As such, regardless of how the PDCP ultimately deals with this issue, residents are advised to confirm any specific installation or approval requirements with their home insurance provider.
This is just one of the matters that have been highlighted during the preparation of the new Palerang Development Control Plan (PDCP).
The draft PDCP is scheduled to go on public exhibition on 2 March 2015, for six weeks. Residents are invited to attend the community meetings to be held in Bungendore (10 March, 5.30pm) and Braidwood (17 March, 5.30pm) to discuss the draft PDCP, and to offer comment on its content.
Comment from Ian Harrison
12 July 2015 @ 12:59
Pete,
I am glad we have someone trying to bring a little realism to the process. I have been trying to get a wood fire installed in a shed out at Manar. A LEP is approved but I am having to find another installer (the plumber I nominated has taken 4 weeks now with no activity and no response to my SMS/ messages).
But there is no way to find out who is licenced, and the council will not tell me. The NSW OneGov site is also no help. The only search that found anything is “Solid Fuel Heater” which finds a lot across NSW but not even one that is current and none in postcode 2622!
I also doubt it will have anything, I can find the plumber Council did approve and the OneGov site list nothing under his name that indicates he is licensed for Solid Fuel installation!
I would prefer to use a non-plumber (plumbers are all just too busy) and I understand licensees are not just plumbers.
Most infuriating is that I could do this myself (it is a simple job, I know all the relevant requirements, I did it before in QBN 20+ years ago).
So if Council wants us to use a Licensed installer then they should publish a list (online) of installers they approved.
In the meantime we are freezing our butts off for lack of a heater.
Your help appreciated please.
Ian