Camden Council
Private building certifier in Catherine Field
Catherine Field contains two sharply contrasting types of land. Before we look at plans, we work out whether your lot sits in the rezoned growth precinct or the older large-lot village.
NSW 2557
Class 1 homes and Class 10 structures
Local rules
Two Planning Settings in Catherine Field
The rezoned precinct
In 2013, part of Catherine Field became a South West Growth Area precinct through a rezoning. On that land the main instrument is a 2021 state precincts policy for the Western Parkland City. Beneath it sits Schedule 4 in Camden's Growth Centre Precincts DCP. Neither the Camden LEP 2010 nor the Camden DCP 2019 controls this land.
Catherine Field Village
The older village is different. It sits under Camden's 2010 local plan, plus Schedule 9 in Camden's DCP. Council notes the land was recently cut into lots of roughly 4,000 square metres, many times larger than a typical estate block.
Houses, heritage and mapped hazards
The 2021 Census counted 2,609 people in 822 private dwellings. Of these, 97.5% were freestanding houses. Four or more bedrooms featured in 71.5%. The precinct schedule maps hazards such as salty or contaminated soil, bushfire areas and power easements. Both the Upper Canal and the Oran Park homestead at 931 Cobbitty Road are each listed on the State Heritage Register.
Typical work
Common projects and how they get approved
What owners build here
Each half brings its own jobs.
- New estate homes. Release stages in the rezoned precinct are still being built, followed by the usual outdoor extras.
- Big sheds and outbuildings. On village acreage these are often large structures. Their distance from boundaries and creeks needs care.
- Houses on acreage. Where there is no sewer, the effluent disposal area limits where a home can go. Driveway and access standards also apply.
- Pools, alfrescos and granny flats. These follow once estate homes are lived in. Lot size and barrier rules still matter.
How approval usually works
Start by checking the maps rather than guessing. A planning certificate (a council document listing the rules over a lot) confirms which instrument applies. Minor work may then be exempt, and plenty of projects can go the CDC way, which a certifier can issue quickly. Where a mapped hazard or the zoning blocks that, you lodge a DA with Camden Council and obtain a CC afterwards.
Environmental living land is stricter. Homes go above the flood line for a 1 in 100 year event, and floors sit 500 millimetres over that level. You also need a plan for managing native vegetation. To protect the setting of the homestead at Oran Park, certain frontages need a width of 20 metres or more. If an electricity easement crosses the site, the network owner must also agree. Send your planning certificate, survey and any easement details first. CertifiBuild will read the mapping with you and set out a clear approval path.
Our services
From approval to sign-off.
One certifier for your whole Catherine Field job, from the first plan check to the occupation certificate.
Local questions
Questions we hear about this suburb.
No two lots in Catherine Field are the same. Give us your address and we will check every map that affects it.
See the council pageIs my Catherine Field lot in the growth precinct or the village?
The quickest way to know is a planning certificate from Camden Council, which names the rules that govern your lot. A 2013 rezoning turned part of Catherine Field into a growth precinct, and that land now follows a 2021 state precincts policy plus Camden’s growth centre design rules. The older village is different: it uses Camden’s 2010 local plan and a village schedule of its own. Because the precinct line and the suburb line are not the same, your street name or the house next door tells you little. Ask for the certificate before choosing a design.
Will a big shed on Catherine Field acreage qualify for a CDC?
Sometimes. A shed on village acreage can go the complying development certificate (CDC) way if the zone, size, setbacks and any mapped hazards all fit the state standards. Many Catherine Field sheds are large rural structures, though, and these often go past the code limits. In that case you lodge a development application (DA) with Camden Council, and a construction certificate (CC) follows. Take care with distances from boundaries and creeks, and keep clear of any effluent disposal area where there is no sewer. A site plan showing all of these helps settle the route quickly.
Does a power easement on my Catherine Field land stop a build?
Not by itself, but it adds another approval. If an electricity easement crosses your Catherine Field land, the network owner has to agree to work on or near it, on top of your planning approval. Their process runs separately from council or the certifier, so start the conversation early. The precinct schedule maps power easements alongside other hazards like salty soil and bushfire areas. Show the easement accurately on your survey and keep the house, shed and driveway clear of it where you can. Send the easement details with your planning certificate.
Building in this suburb?
Send us the address first.
We check the local maps for your lot, confirm the approval path and quote in writing.