Retrospective Building Application
Any building or structure that has been constructed, structurally altered or extended without a building permit obtained from the City of Busselton is classed as an “Unauthorised Structure”.
Please refer to the City’s Development and Planning Team to confirm whether you require a Retrospective Development Approval.
Lodging a Retrospective Building Application
An Application for Building Approval Certificate (Retrospective) may be submitted to the City to retrospectively authorise a previously unauthorised building or structure, including buildings work/s undertaken without prior approval or an unauthorised structure on a purchased property.
Residential Properties Class 1 and Class 10 buildings and incidental structures
A person may apply under S51(3) of the Building Act for a building approval certificate for a building or an incidental structure in respect of which unauthorised work has been done. Applicants should use a BA13 Form – Application for Building Approval Certificate. This type of application would also apply to a Class 2 to Class 9 building that does not require and occupancy permit.
Commercial Properties Class 2 to 9 buildings
A person may apply under S51(2) of the Building Act for an Occupancy permit for a building in respect of which unauthorised work has been done. Applicants should use a BA9 form- Application for Occupancy Permit.
Other approvals administered by the permit authority (such as planning or health) may also be required.
Application for Building Approval Certificate shall be accompanied by:
- BA13 Form – Application for Building Approval Certificate or
- BA9 Form – Application for Occupancy Permit
- Certificate of Building Compliance (CBC) issued by a Private Certifier – please refer link to Registered Building Surveyors/Certifiers;
- Plans or specifications as referenced on the Certificate of Building Compliance;
- Engineers Certification if required;
- Any photographic documentation;
A Certificate of Building Compliance (CBC) confirms the building is compliant with the relevant Building Standards, and is issued by a registered building surveyor, as defined in Section 3 of the Building Services (Registration) Act 2011.
The relevant Building Standards for an unauthorised building or structure are set out in the National Construction Code that is in effect at the time the application for Building Approval Certificate is made.
The permit authority has 10 business days to decide on a Retrospective application. These timelines may sometimes be extended in consultation with the applicant.
Lodging Applications
The City accepts building applications in hardcopy or electronic format via the following:
A Request for Payment will be issued upon receipt of application. Application fees can be calculated using the Building fees tab: Online Building Fee Calculator
If your project has a construction value of more than $20,000, you will need to pay the Construction Training Fund (CTF) Levy. The rate of the levy is 0.2% of the total value of construction (inclusive of GST). Once paid an invoice will be required to be submitted with the application.