There is an increasing awareness in the community that everyone can play an important part in reducing the impact of waste disposal on our environment – reduce, recycle, reuse.

Gunnedah Shire Council is committed to reducing waste to landfill and provides a range of services to assist residents in the disposal of household waste, greenwaste, recycling and chemical drums. Council provides a three bin kerbside waste collection service to residential customers in Gunnedah to support its waste management program. The three bins service greenwaste (green lid), garbage (red lid) and recyclables (yellow lid).

Waste collection services are also provided to the villages of Carroll and Curlewis as well as the rural environs of Gunnedah. This kerbside service is supported by rural waste facilities at Carroll and Curlewis, waste transfer centres at Breeza, Kelvin, Tambar Springs and Mullaley plus the Gunnedah Waste Management Facility, Quia Road Gunnedah.

Gunnedah Shire Council is actively introducing initiatives such as placing CCTV cameras in littering 'hotspots' in an effort to deter this behaviour. Council supports program such as Clean up Australia Day and local Landcare groups, and promotes community participation.

The Development Servicing Plan (DSP) covers sewerage developer charges (DC) for the Gunnedah Shire Council. This relates to assets such as treatment facilities, transfer and collection systems.

The DSP aims to:

• Allow Council to require an equitable monetary contribution for the provision of sewerage infrastructure to meet the loading generated by development.
• Facilitate the future provision of sewerage services to the Gunnedah Shire Council area which meets the required levels of service with regard to pump station capacity, collector main capacity and treated effluent quality.
• Set out the schedule and programme of proposed works to meet increasing sewerage loads generated by development.
• Detail the contribution charges and Gunnedah Shire Council's payment policies.

To enable this, a future demand estimate of sewerage load for the Council has been undertaken. The demand estimate is the basis used for determining the infrastructure required to meet the need generated by future development. Developer contributions are applicable for existing and proposed works which serve future development. Section 3 details the existing works and proposed works schedule for sewerage infrastructure to meet the expected loading.

Servicing Plan and Best Practice Management Documents:

View or download the Water Restriction Exemption Form below.

View or download the Gunnedah Shire Standpipe Locations below.

Servicing Plan and Best Practice Management Documents:

All plumbing and drainage work carried out in the Gunnedah Shire Council must comply with the Plumbing Code of Australia and Australian Standard AS/NZS 3500. Copies of the Plumbing Code of Australia can be obtained from the Australian Building Codes Board at www.abcb.gov.au and copies of AS/NZS 3500 can be obtained from http://www.saiglobal.com. 

NSW Office of Fair Trading licenses plumbers and drainers under the Home Building Act 1989, and all plumbing and drainage work must be completed by a person holding a NSW licence, qualified supervisor certificate or tradesperson certificate.

Plumbers and drainers working in the Gunnedah Local Government Area must continue to contact Gunnedah Shire Council to book inspections for approved works, pay fees, submit documentation and for enquiries.

Documents and forms

Plumbers and drainers are required to submit the following documents at certain stages of the work:

• Applications to connect to Council’s sewerage system, or install a system of on-site sewage management or amend connections.
• Notice of Work is to be issued to Gunnedah Shire Councill no later than 2 business days before the work concerned is carried out.
• Certificate of Compliance is to be issued to Gunnedah Shire Council and to the person for whom the work was carried out, on completion of the final inspection.

Council still will require complete colour coded “works as executed” service diagram with details of all services on the property to assist current and future owners to identify the location of underground water supply pipes, sanitary drainage, and stormwater drainage and fire services as applicable.

Swimming Pool Inspection Program

The New South Wales (NSW) Office of Local Government has recognised swimming pool safety as an important issue and in doing so has made significant amendments to the Swimming Pools Act 1992 (the Act). These amendments include Inspection fees and penalties, pool registration and certification and a requirement for local councils to develop a Swimming Pool Barrier Inspection Program. The aim of these changes is to reduce drowning and near drowning instances of children under the age of five.

Swimming Pool Certificate of Compliance

These amendments also require homeowners with a swimming pool to obtain a Certificate of Compliance before renting or selling the property.

In NSW, the owners of properties with a swimming pool and/or a spa pool are required to register their pools and spas on the NSW Swimming Pool Register.

Additonally, before erecting or installing a new swimming pool homeowners must obtain either Development Consent and a Construction Certificate or a Complying Development Certificate.

Visit our Types of Approval page for more information on requirements before undertaking any development or building works.

Section 68 Activity Approvals

The following activities require the lodgement of a Section 68 Activity Approval application:
PART A1 - Install a manufactured home, movable dwelling or associated structure on land
PART B4 - Carry out sewerage work
PART B5 - Carry out stormwater drainage work
PART B6 - Connect a private drain or sewer with a public drain or sewer under the control of a Council or with a drain or sewer which connects with such a public drain or sewer.
PART F2 - Operate a caravan park or camping ground.
PART F3 - Operate a manufactured home estate.
PART F4 - Install a domestic oil or solid fuel heating appliance, other than a portable appliance.

An approval for an activity under Section 68 of the Local Government Act 1993 can be sought from Council. A Section 68 Application form needs to be completed and submitted to Council, along with the relevant application fees.

For further information please contact Council's Planning Department on 02 6740 2100.

The NSW planning process is governed by a hierarchy of legislation and environmental planning instruments. At the top of the legislation hierarchy is the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act (EPA) Act 1979, and then steps down to various types of plans including State Environmental Planning Policies, Local Environmental Plans and policies such as a Development Control Plan.

The planning legislation and environmental planning instruments are amended periodically so it is important that you access the most current version of the documents by downloading them directly from the NSW Legislation website.
If you would like more information about the current NSW planning process or the proposed changes to the planning system, visit the NSW Planning and Environment website.

The Development Application (DA) will be assessed in accordance with Section 79C of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979, which includes:

• the requirements of any local, regional or state planning instrument, or other planning regulation that relates to the site or the proposed development. These may contain issues to be considered or standards that must be met
• the impact the proposed development is likely to have on the natural environment, the built environment and the local community
• whether the site is suitable for the proposed development
• any submissions made by neighbours, the wider community and government agencies after the development application was advertised
• the public interest

The application may involve referrals to other internal staff or external government agencies.
The DA will either be approved or refused by the consent authority. If the application is approved, the consent will usually set out conditions that the Applicant must fulfil.

Any person who feels that their property or neighbourhood may be adversely impacted by a proposed development may make a written submission in response to a Development Application. Council has produced a fact sheet to explain the submissions process which may be accessed by clicking the link below.

Development Applications on Exhibition

The Development Applications (DAs) currently on public exhibition are listed on Council's Online Application Tracking Service. These DAs have been advertised in accordance with Council’s policies.

If you would like to make a submission on one of the development proposals that you have seen below, you may do so in writing within the exhibition period.