Ask yourself, do I need building approval for that?

Another Geoff Grover report prepared to assist the home-owner through the minefield of owning property today
A building development approval is required before starting construction on most types of domestic building work. So make sure you get all of the relevant paperwork in place to ensure your construction is correctly approved by Council.
These approvals, or permits, can be obtained from either a private building certifier or Sunshine Coast Regional Council (SCRC). Building certifiers are responsible for assessing whether proposed building work complies with all relevant provisions of the Building Act 1975 and associated standards, but regardless of which certifier you use, they must be licensed with the Building Services Authority (BSA). A building certifier will be able to tell you whether the construction work needs a building approval or whether it is self-asessable or exempt.
Some minor building work is self-assessable, meaning the owner is
responsible for ensuring the work complies with the relevant standards such as structural sufficiency, size limits and boundary setbacks. Minor work may require approval under council planning schemes and owners are responsible to comply with this.
Exempt building work does not require a building development permit and the owner doesn't have to meet minimum building standards.
Some exempt building work may still require approval under the council's planning scheme, so it's best to contact the SCRC before starting any work. Some aspects of residential building work such as the maximum height or setback may be controlled under a council planning scheme and a planning permit is therefore required from the council.
Geoff note – in my experience I have found the council to provide excellent service in providing answers – the ladies at the telephone on the frontline are superb, have a huge range of information available at their fingertips, and will put you through to the appropriate department if unable to answer your query.

If you want to know more information about approvals, visit the Department of Infrastructure and Planning atwww.dip.qld.gov.au.

Some examples of self-assessable building work include
• A small tool shed, stable or the like up to 10 square metres in area (other than in tropical cyclone zone)
• Retaining wall that is one metre in height (providing no loads are imposed above it such as a building or driveway)
• Fence not more than two metres high (not including pool fences)

Some examples of exempt building work includes:
• Axing minor attachments to a building such as a sun-hood or visor no more than one metre from the building.
• Repairs and maintenance to existing building.
• The construction of playground equipment not more than three metres high
Source: Department of Infrastructure and Planning (DIP)