Bayside Council waives development application fees for apartment renovations under $10,000

At its recent meeting, Bayside Council voted to waive any development application fees incurred for small renovations or alteration works with a construction cost of less than $100,000, for all apartment owners, until the end of the year.

This mirrored a decision by the council over Christmas to waive fees on equivalent renovations for home owners.

A Bayside spokesperson said waiving fees would have small impact on council's annual income, likely "several thousand dollars based on experience from previous years".

They said the waiver, effective immediately, was put forward by Councillors to stimulate the local economy and to assist home owners.

"Councils have limited opportunities to assist in economic recovery, with the construction sector being one of them. Assisting the construction sector delivers multiplier effects into other sectors such as those supplying materials, building designers, engineers, tool suppliers, and even local food shops," they said.

Licensed builder Mark Dodgson, director of Ask A Local and member of the Property Owners Association of NSW, said: "This is certainly a good outcome for home owners."

He said the Association congratulated Bayside Council on the decision as it encouraged small works - hopefully employing local tradespeople - in the area.

"Other councils should follow the Bayside council's lead and reduce the additional paperwork and cost for their rate payers and for their staff," Mr Dodgson said.

Examples of alterations and additions that could be performed without paying DA fees on apartments up until December 31 include awnings, modifications to balconies, internal renovations involving structural changes, and external upgrades, however approval of the Strata Corporation for the building would also be required in most cases.