The Building Site Code of Practice is a guide that explains the responsibilities of developers, builders, sub-contractors and tradespeople working on building sites.
Building Site Code of Practice aims to:
The Code reinforces a number of existing laws, including the Environmental Protection Act, Domestic Animals Act, and our General Local Laws.
We expect all builders and developers operating within the City of Whittlesea to comply with our Code of Practice throughout the building process.
The penalties for breaching the Code of Practice range from an on-the-spot fine of $1000 to prosecution in Court, which may result in fines up to $10,000.
The Code includes regulation information on the following issues:
A dog taken onto a building site must be controlled, registered and not create a noise nuisance.
Building materials should not be placed on the nature strip, footpath or road – they must be contained on site.
The builder is responsible for protecting Council assets from damage until building work are completed and the Certificate of Occupancy is issued.
Builders must use wooden vehicle crossover protectors to reduce the spread of soil and protect against damage to vehicle crossovers. Builders and contractors must not drive vehicles over footpaths to gain access to properties.
Within 7 days of receiving the building permit, builders must notify us of any existing damage to footpaths, kerbs, vehicle crossovers and nature strips. For more information, see Asset Protection.
Trees, both on the site and on the nature strip, must be protected from damage.
Before you dig, you must find out the location of any underground lines, cables and substations, including gas, electricity, water and telecommunications to ensure safety.
If you don’t, and you cause damage to these resources, you may have to cover the costs.
Melbourne One Call provides free information on the location of underground assets. Phone Melbourne One Call on 1100.
Before starting work, sand bags or hay bales must be used to surround drains and the perimeter of sloping land. This will prevent sand and soil from being washed off site, entering stormwater drains and polluting local creeks and rivers.
All litter and building waste must be secured in a skip or a cage with a lid - to prevent it from blowing away. It must be emptied during, and at the end of, construction.
See Noise restrictions.
Allocated property numbers must be clearly displayed no further than half a metre inside the front boundary line. The number must be on a contrasting background and be easily read at all times from the road. This will assist in the easy identification of the property by delivery drivers and emergency vehicles.
From 2005, building sites must have details of the building permit displayed on site. The details required are:
A working toilet and running water must be provided on all building sites.
When transporting waste from the building site, ensure loads on utilities, trailers and trucks are secured and covered, to prevent soil and litter blowing from vehicles.
Builders should use temporary perimeter fencing to enclose a building site. This will:
We highly recommend using temporary fencing, however, it is not compulsory in the City of Whittlesea.