Question - planning permission for airstrip?
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Question - planning permission for airstrip?
Being a lazy sod, I wonder if someone already has the answer to this question.
Do you require planning permission from the local Council if you want to build and use your own private ALA on your own land?
I'm sure you would need planning permission for a hangar or "machinery shed", but do you need permission to build, use and operate the ALA for your own private use?
Do you require planning permission from the local Council if you want to build and use your own private ALA on your own land?
I'm sure you would need planning permission for a hangar or "machinery shed", but do you need permission to build, use and operate the ALA for your own private use?
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Hi Sunfish
I can only comment based on my knowledge of the Planning and Environment angle.
And it all depends on how the land is zoned in the first place. If agricultural, the question is whether using the land for a private airstrip falls under normally accepted agricultural usage.
In a nutshell, you need a planning permit to change the USE of the land from one use to another. So to turn it from agricultural to residential will require an application, plan of subdivision, and the council will want payments for supply of services etc. Adding an airstrip might fall under existing permitted use. You should also check the title for any covenants which might exclude certain uses.
Then, you need a building permit to build improvements onto the land in line with its approved use. So if your land is already approved for use as an airstrip, amongst other uses, making it more usable by paving a runway, for example, might still require a building permit application, as it could affect drainage and other services.
Going to the next stage, building a terminal, should you be contemplating a commercial aerodrome, would certainly require a building permit, and might change the nature of the application from routine rubber-stamping to furious local public debate.
Simple answer - take the title certificate and folio number into the responsible authority (usually the local city or shire council, unless the land is for some reason under a different jurisdiction) and see the planning officer/manager for an off-the-record chat. They'll put you onto the right track for the specific parcel or block you have in mind.
Not sure if you need any other approvals, e.g. CASA if planning to offer landing facilities to other unrelated parties.
Best of luck.
VHCU
I can only comment based on my knowledge of the Planning and Environment angle.
And it all depends on how the land is zoned in the first place. If agricultural, the question is whether using the land for a private airstrip falls under normally accepted agricultural usage.
In a nutshell, you need a planning permit to change the USE of the land from one use to another. So to turn it from agricultural to residential will require an application, plan of subdivision, and the council will want payments for supply of services etc. Adding an airstrip might fall under existing permitted use. You should also check the title for any covenants which might exclude certain uses.
Then, you need a building permit to build improvements onto the land in line with its approved use. So if your land is already approved for use as an airstrip, amongst other uses, making it more usable by paving a runway, for example, might still require a building permit application, as it could affect drainage and other services.
Going to the next stage, building a terminal, should you be contemplating a commercial aerodrome, would certainly require a building permit, and might change the nature of the application from routine rubber-stamping to furious local public debate.
Simple answer - take the title certificate and folio number into the responsible authority (usually the local city or shire council, unless the land is for some reason under a different jurisdiction) and see the planning officer/manager for an off-the-record chat. They'll put you onto the right track for the specific parcel or block you have in mind.
Not sure if you need any other approvals, e.g. CASA if planning to offer landing facilities to other unrelated parties.
Best of luck.
VHCU
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As far as I can tell, in most if not all municipalites, on rural land, you do not need council approval...as long as it's private and you are not running a flight school, meat bombing operation or any other commercial operation from the strip.
An airstrip is an accepted use on rural land. However these are not the only considerations. You may have problems with airspace, proximity to an airport, sensitive neighbours and/or council approval for the hangar....er shed...it helps to call it a shed.
An airstrip is an accepted use on rural land. However these are not the only considerations. You may have problems with airspace, proximity to an airport, sensitive neighbours and/or council approval for the hangar....er shed...it helps to call it a shed.
My better half is a Town Planner and she said that a airstrip is not a 'normal' listed use under a planning scheme and therefore may require a high level of assessment against the planning scheme (which may include public advertising). It's likely you will need approval although this would depend on what state/local government you are in.
In the first instance speak to your local government (a planner) not a councillor as they'll just tell you what you want to hear. If an application is required you'd be best to speak to a private town planning firm to do an application on your behalf.
If the local government tells you that an application is not required, make sure you get it in writing.
In the first instance speak to your local government (a planner) not a councillor as they'll just tell you what you want to hear. If an application is required you'd be best to speak to a private town planning firm to do an application on your behalf.
If the local government tells you that an application is not required, make sure you get it in writing.
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I know of no less than 10 aircraft ownersin Victoria who have their own strips running UL to GA. NONE of them have a council permit and one of them in particular has been operating for no less than 20 years in a very gucci and populated area. Only problem I've heard of with any of them is from someone who got disgruntled and spoke to council and the neighbours and got a petition going. Didn't shut him down though; just stopped a second aircraft from running out of it.
Council planners are parasites on the system and will stop progress no matter what it is!
You can do anything on your own land as long as it's not commercial and doesn't upset the neighbours. Drive cards, ride motorbikes drive a boat, ride a hovercraft or fly a plane!
Council planners are parasites on the system and will stop progress no matter what it is!
You can do anything on your own land as long as it's not commercial and doesn't upset the neighbours. Drive cards, ride motorbikes drive a boat, ride a hovercraft or fly a plane!
I built a strip in the Avon Valley in 1985, and had only 2 neighbours with houses more than 1km away - so everything worked out well. But, one neighbour sold off a 40ha block which butted onto ours, unfortunately right under our approach path. It eventuated that the new owner liked aircraft, and had we never had any problems.
But, he did say, over a beer one day, that he wouldn't have had to complain - just plant some fast growing trees right on the boundary under our approach. This would have done us, because we had initially cut down a couple large trees on our side of the fence to gain enough length.
I've heard of others being effectively shutdown by antagonistic neighbours having the powerlines to their houses strung along boundary lines, or growing trees in line with runways, or even building dead in line with a runway.
In these 'hobby farm' areas, you can have all the Local Government approvals you like, but if adjacent property changes hands - it's a new game!
happy days,
But, he did say, over a beer one day, that he wouldn't have had to complain - just plant some fast growing trees right on the boundary under our approach. This would have done us, because we had initially cut down a couple large trees on our side of the fence to gain enough length.
I've heard of others being effectively shutdown by antagonistic neighbours having the powerlines to their houses strung along boundary lines, or growing trees in line with runways, or even building dead in line with a runway.
In these 'hobby farm' areas, you can have all the Local Government approvals you like, but if adjacent property changes hands - it's a new game!
happy days,
I bought a property in the Sydney basin with a 600 meter strip and have added an oblique strip to 900 meters. There are no near neighbours apart from national park and the river so I am hopeing that we will never have trouble.
However I think you are correct vh-xxx if there are no complaints then things go on. The council at Hornsby tried to stop a helicopter and they eventually admitted defeat in that there was nothing that they could do.
I would just like to have a water tight defence if anything happened and those with negativr attitudes became exited.
However I think you are correct vh-xxx if there are no complaints then things go on. The council at Hornsby tried to stop a helicopter and they eventually admitted defeat in that there was nothing that they could do.
I would just like to have a water tight defence if anything happened and those with negativr attitudes became exited.
