The most common reason clients choose RNA is that we are local to the area of Sutherland Shire.

We are a part of our community.

Our office is in Gymea and has been for some time, so we know this beautiful part of the world like the back of our hands.

The Sutherland Shire is the traditional land of the Dharawal people.

And, the common thread between all of us who live here is that this place of bush, coast, and rivers is what we call home.

The land may be the terrain and natural surroundings, and the place may have personal and emotional significance, yet together they create our sense of belonging.

And, with land and place comes oversight.

That oversight is Council.

A body of caretakers to ensure our home remains unspoilt and protected in a climate of rapid growth and development.

But when you think of Council, you think of rules, regulations, forms, approvals, and fees.

You think red tape.

And, you’re right.

Council is a Local Government Authority, and that goes hand-in-hand with bureaucracy.

But, guess what?

They don’t exist to make life difficult for you.

They exist to protect the things we love about our home.

And that’s why we have developed a very good relationship with the local Council.

Not only to make the compliance process smoother but because building your dreams is a team effort, and Council is just one part of that multidisciplinary team.

Do you live in the Sutherland Shire? 

Your property falls within the governance of the Sutherland Shire Development Control Plan (DCP) and the Local Environment Plan (LEP).

These two documents outline the objectives and controls used by Council when determining your development application (DA).

By the way, we don’t recommend reading these documents because they’re more complex than War and Peace, and you’ll most likely fall asleep during the first page.

That’s why it’s our job to keep across them and ensure your project’s DA meets these controls.

So, what are some of the potential controls in our area?  

The most common are:

• Land use zones
• Minimum subdivision lot size
• Height of buildings
• Floor space ratio
• Density controls
• Bushfire control
• Flood control
• Environmentally sensitive land

Then there are restrictions on:

• Setbacks
• Retaining walls & structural support
• Awnings & shade structures
• Carports & garages
• Decks & balconies
• Fences
• Swimming pools.

Really, the list could go on and on and on!

Navigating these controls is like navigating the stars in the night sky

The main point we are making here is that, like stars, there are a lot of controls, and it’s impossible to make out the clear picture until you talk to someone who knows what they’re looking at.

Anytime you wish to discuss ideas about your property, commercial or retail space, now you’ll know the first things we will start researching for you.

Because there’s nothing worse than getting your hopes up only to find out the amount of hoops you need to jump through when submitting your application to Council.

We have called them hoops, but we’ll leave you to think about the words from Mohith Agadi and what these hoops actually represent:

“Environment is no one’s property to destroy; it’s everyone’s responsibility to protect.”

(As always this information is general in nature and not site specific – dont make decisions based on this article)