Detailed Analysis of Nirimba City Council's DCP for Housing Projects

This report provides a detailed analysis of the Nirimba City Council's Development Control Plan (DCP) for medium-density housing. The analysis covers various aspects including drainage provisions, site requirements such as minimal width and density, and building design specifications, including setbacks, building height, and the number of dwellings permitted. The report examines solar access regulations, ensuring adequate sunlight for common and private open spaces, and addresses the provision of private courts, common open spaces, and landscaping requirements. It also assesses off-street car parking, access ways, fencing, privacy, and views, as well as refuse collection and laundry facilities. The report highlights instances where the proposed development fails to meet the council's standards and regulations, providing a comprehensive overview of the compliance issues and areas of concern within the DCP.

DEFECTS DCP reference
Title
issue City council concern
2 Drainage Inadequate provision for drainage services. There is
no provision for the increased storm water. There
i9s no provision for the on-site detention of the
storm water and at the same time there is
inappropriate augmentation of the council storm
water disposal system.
Adequate provision must be made for the collection and
disposal of surface and roof water run-off. All storm water
shall
Be either reticulated to the street gutter or piped to a suitable
location as approved by Council.
3 Site requirements The south-easterly of the site is 17.78m, which does
no0t meet the requirements of the minimal width of
when measured at the building setbacks line to the
street frontage, which is required to be a minimum
of 18m.
Council has no specific site density requirements for medium
density housing. The appropriate density of development
proposals is determined by compliance with the totality of
Council's requirements for this type of development
4 Building setbacks The development site shall be densely landscaped to
the depth of the setback along the front boundary.
Corner sites
shall also be required to incorporate landscaping
The building setback from the street for medium density
housing shall be:
1. 7.5m in existing development localities or lesser where
compatible with adjoining residential development; or

along the frontage to the minor road to the minimum
depth of the
Setback. This landscaped area may contain vehicular
and pedestrian access ways only. Parking and
private courts are
Not permitted in this landscaped area. The
landscaped area will not count as part of the
common open space required
For the development.
2. 6m in newer "release area" localities where residential
development is occurring for the first time.
5 Building design The number of buildings are more than the
required numbered I.e. they are four instead of three
According to the council Buildings shall generally contain a
maximum of 3 individual dwellings.
6 Solar access The development of the proposal will cause
unreasonable overshadowing of the site itself and
the adjoining sites. The development of the (4) two-
storey townhouses will not be able to ensure that
50% of the common open spaces and the private
areas of the proposed development. It will not be
The council requires that the residential buildings such as
the proposed (4) two-storey townhouses to be designed in a
way which ensures that 50% of the common private spaces
and the open spaces of the adjoining sites and of the proposed
development to be in a position to receive a minimum of 4hrs
of sunlight between 9am and 3pm on 21st June.

able once the development has been developed to
meet minimum sunlight hours as required by the
council.
7 Building height The height of the proposed (4) four store buildings is
out of the permitted, the total height of the proposed
development does not correspond to the set heights
by the councils.
According to the council In general, two storey buildings will
not be permitted above 7.2m in height. However, as this height
is measured to the
ceiling of the uppermost storey, Council may permit the
erection of a building to a height of 10m measured from the
finished ground level to the ridge line where the design of the
building does not interfere with the amenity of adjoining
land.
8 Private courts and
clothes drying areas
Some of the dwellings are lacking the private
courts
According to the council each dwelling shall be provided with
at least 1 private court. All courts shall be suitably landscaped
and be directly Accessible from the dwelling at ground level.
9 Common open space The landscaped open spaces of the proposed
development is not sufficient and does not meet the
requirements set by the Council. At the same time
The council requires that the landscaped common areas to be
provided at the rate of 15 square meters per dwelling and they
should be aggregated areas which ability to be actively used

the shape of the open spaces is not as per the set
standards since majority of the open spaces are
disproportionately elongated in shape and also
there are many small pockets of open spaces
which does not account for the total area of the
open spaces.
The parking areas and vehicle access ways occupy a
greater part of the site where the construction of the
proposed (4) two-storey townhouses is likely to take
place.
by the residents. The council clearly states that small pockets
of land which are normally provided to improve the
appearance of the proposed development will not be counted
in the common open space allocation.
10 Landscaping Not all parts of the site not built-upon or paved shall
be landscaped with grass, trees, shrubs and other
vegetation.
All parts of the site not built-upon or paved shall be
landscaped with grass, trees, shrubs and other vegetation.
11 Setbacks of
dwellings
Not all the buildings are setback from the site
boundaries
According t6o the councileach dwelling unit shall be setback
from the site boundaries
12 Off-street car
parking
All parking are no provided on the development site
and at the minimum rate of 1 covered space per
All parking shall be provided on the development site and at
the minimum rate of 1 covered space per dwelling, in

dwelling, in
addition to 1 visitor's space per 2.5 dwellings
addition to 1 visitor's space per 2.5 dwellings
13 Access ways The common accessways are not separated from
the buidings in the required distance and their width
does not meet the standards set by the council.
The common accessway pavement shall be 6m wide from the
street to the building setback and may reduce in width
onto the site thereafter depending upon the scale of the
development and providing that an accessway must remain at
least 5.5m wide to a bin-standing area where such is provided
away from the street frontage. No accessway pavement
width shall be less than 4m for developments up to 5 lots and
5m fordevelopments up to 15 lots.
14 Fencing and screen
walls
The clothes drying areas are located within the
public spaces b which is against the standards set
by the council.
Clothes drying areas should be located away from the street or
public places. Where this cannot be avoided, they shall
be totally screened from public view.
15 privacy There is no privacy in the proposed development
since the walls of the neighboring buildings are
closer than 12m, and at the same time there is more
care that has been taken to establish a reasonable
According to the council, Where walls of neighboring
buildings are closer than 12m, care should be taken to establish
a reasonable measure
Of visual privacy. The location of major windows of living

measure of visually privacy. rooms is of importance in this respect.
16 Views The design of the proposed development obstructs
views from the adjoining buildings.
According to the council The design of developments should
minimize, wherever possible, the obstruction of view from
adjoining buildings.
17 Refuse collection There is no sufficient provision within the site
fo0r the collection and storage of wastes as it is
stipulated by the council in the following ways;
An appropriately paved bin-standings area should
be provided at the front of the site, adjacent to the
entrance driveways, for the collection of the 240
litres wheeled bins. If an additional bin standing area
is needed and it is not located at the street
frontage , it shallbe located adjacent to the
common access driveway.
the bin-standing area shall be suitably screened from
public view with construction materials compatible
with
According to the council There should be sufficient sufficient
provision within the site for the collection and storage of
wastes as it is stipulated by the council in the following
ways;
An appropriately paved bin-standings area should be
provided at the front of the site,adjacent to the entrance
driveways, for the collection of the 240 litres wheeled bins. If
an additional bin standing area is needed and it is not
located at the street frontage , it shallbe located adjacent to
the common access driveway.
the bin-standing area shall be suitably screened from public
view with construction materials compatible with
the buildings on the site and on adjoining developments;

the buildings on the site and on adjoining
developments;
• a cold water cock shall be provided in or adjacent
to the bin-standing area to facilitate cleaning;
• no dwelling should be located so that it is more
than 70m by pedestrian path or access driveway
from a binstanding
area;
• the 240 litre wheeled bins shall be stored at
individual dwelling units; and
• if a refuse collection vehicle has to enter the site, a
suitable truck turning area shall be provided.
• a cold water cock shall be provided in or adjacent to the bin-
standing area to facilitate cleaning;
• no dwelling should be located so that it is more than 70m by
pedestrian path or access driveway from a binstanding
area;
• the 240 litre wheeled bins shall be stored at individual
dwelling units; and
• if a refuse collection vehicle has to enter the site, a suitable
truck turning area shall be provided
18 Laundry facilities Each dwelling does not have its own individual
laundry facility as required by the building code.
According to the council each of the dwelling to be
constructed it has to have its own individual internal laundry
facilities in accordance with the requirements of the Building
Code.