From time to time a community/sporting group or an individual may wish to undertake a project where you will look at altering, upgrading and/or adding new infrastructure/assets to the Shire of Gingin’s:
Whilst you may feel these upgrades may be a great improvement, it is important that you always seek permission from the Shire of Gingin before carrying out any changes to land or property/assets owned or managed by the Shire.
What will happen if I/we undertake any changes without Shire approval?
- The Shire may request that the alteration be removed at your expense.
- The Shire may consider the alteration in breach of the lease for the facility and you (the lessee) may find that your lease will be terminated by the Shire.
Why do I/we need approval?
Changes to Shire facilities or land is no different to changes to private residences or land: all are subject to Australian planning, building, safety standards, etc. It is law that any building works undertaken are accessed by a qualified assessor (i.e. engineer, architect, town planner, building surveyor, etc.) and if any additional approvals are required then there may also be a need for development approvals, building licence permits, etc.
Some other factors to consider about why you need approval include:
- Even basic changes to a building can change the disability access requirements and funding these access requirements will need to be factored into the project's cost.
- If the proposed project changes are for a Reserve premises or land then you will need to provide a site plan and building plans so that the Shire can seek Minister for Lands section 18 approval.
- You may need to submit a Development Approval (Planning) prior to obtaining a Building Permit.
- In most instances an external Certificate of Design Compliance will need to be submitted as the Shire cannot assess its own buildings.
- You cannot sub-lease or allow others (informal agreements) to use land that you are leasing without approval from the Shire.
How do I/we apply for approval?
If you have a proposal for a Shire asset (leased premises, park or land under Shire management) then please read through our Frequently Asked Questions Fact Sheet below and fill in a Concept Enquiry form.
FAQs - Community Projects for Shire Land & Assets
Concept Enquiry
A Concept Enquiry is an easy way to ensure that all of the relevant and required information and documentation is submitted. This process will ensure that any changes made to a Shire owned or vested premises are compliant with management orders (if applicable), building insurances, bush fire plans, building usage compliance, Town Planning Schemes, etc. Additionally, part of the assessment process will be to ascertain if the project aligns with the Shire’s Strategic Community Plan and complies with the Health, Building and any other relevant Acts and Regulations.
Form - Concept Enquiry
Project Plan
Any project with a total value of more than $10,000 will need to provide Project Plan together with your Concept Enquiry.
Form - Project Plan
Flow Chart - Maintenance Requests Concept Enquiries
Any request for Shire funding is a seperate application process see Shire of Gingin - Funding & Grants for Shire funding.
What happens next?
Shire officers and Council will review your submitted Concept Enquiry to determine whether the project will receive in-principle support or not (based on supply of adequate project information). Please note that this stage can take up to two months depending on the date submitted and when Council and staff meetings are scheduled.
If in-principle support is received from the Shire then the applicant (if eligible) may wish to consider applying for Shire funding via the Community Funding Program or via a Council Budget Request.
It's a simple job. Can I do a maintenance request instead?
If what you would like to do is only a simple repair or minor upgrade then it may only merit a Maintenance Request to the Shire. Submit your maintenance request to the Shire:
Flowchart - Making changes to Shire Assets or Land