Lane Cove Council
Private building certifier in Greenwich
Is your Greenwich lot inside Lane Cove’s only heritage conservation area? That single answer changes the approval path. CertifiBuild certifies homes, additions, pools and garages here and checks it first.
NSW 2065
Class 1 homes and Class 10 structures
Local rules
Greenwich: heritage streets on a harbour peninsula
A mixed peninsula
Greenwich sits entirely inside Lane Cove Council and covers about 164 hectares. Detached houses stand next to blocks of flats, and apartments form a far larger share here than in the council's other peninsula suburbs. Most land is zoned R2. Across much of the mapped land, buildings may reach 9.5 metres. Where the map shows a minimum lot size, it is 550 m2. A working waterfront zone covers the oil terminal on the shore.
The conservation area
About 18% of the suburb's land falls within the Greenwich heritage conservation area. It takes in streets such as George, Mitchell, St Lawrence, Manns Avenue, Church and Prospect Streets and both Serpentine Roads. The Lane Cove LEP 2009 maps no other place like it. Of the council's listed heritage items, 129 are in Greenwich, including the State listed house Pallister on River Road.
Bush and foreshore
Around 13% of Greenwich is bushfire prone land. Only a thin strip is touched by the foreshore building line, so few projects are shaped by it.
Typical work
Common projects and how they get approved
What owners build here
Greenwich work splits along the conservation area boundary, so two neighbours can face very different paperwork for similar jobs. Common Class 1 and 10 projects are:
- Additions at the back of older homes within the heritage area, supported by a heritage impact statement.
- New homes and knockdown rebuilds on R2 land outside it, where the state codes can still apply.
- Swimming pools, which stay possible as fast-track work even within the conservation area.
- Garages and decks, plus the retaining walls that steep harbourside blocks with exposed sandstone need.
Flat buildings and the mixed use sites fronting the Pacific Highway are outside our Class 1 and 10 scope.
How approval usually works
For most work inside the heritage area, the state housing codes are unavailable. A CDC (a fast-track approval under state rules) is still open for a pool, a freestanding outbuilding or certain other detached structures, but a house addition normally needs a DA. A heritage impact statement must go in with the DA under council's locality chapter. It also resists front or side additions unless they improve the streetscape. Work out of sight from both street and water gets more leeway. Outside the area, the codes are available if your lot meets their standards. Also check tree rules early, because inside the heritage area, tree work needs consent rather than a permit. CertifiBuild pins down where your lot sits relative to the boundary and sets the right path from day one.
Our services
From approval to sign-off.
One certifier for your whole Greenwich job, from the first plan check to the occupation certificate.
Local questions
Questions we hear about this suburb.
No two lots in Greenwich are the same. Give us your address and we will check every map that affects it.
See the council pageIs my Greenwich street inside the heritage conservation area?
Check the heritage map in the Lane Cove Local Environmental Plan or order a planning certificate. The Greenwich heritage conservation area, the only one in Lane Cove, takes in roughly 18% of Greenwich by area. Streets within it include George, Mitchell, St Lawrence, Manns Avenue, Church and Prospect Streets, the two Serpentine Roads and a section of Greenwich Road. If your lot falls within it, most house work needs a development application (DA) supported by a heritage impact statement, while lots outside it may use the state codes. Confirm this before design starts.
Can a pool still be fast-tracked inside the heritage area?
Yes. Inside the Greenwich conservation area, the state housing codes are mostly switched off, but a swimming pool remains on the short list that can still be approved as complying development. A detached outbuilding and some other freestanding structures may also qualify. House additions and most other work need a development application (DA) to Lane Cove Council instead. The pool still has to satisfy each code standard, and tree work inside the conservation area needs consent rather than a permit, so check trees early.
Will council let me split my large heritage block?
Unlikely, if the block is within the heritage area. Lane Cove’s locality controls for Greenwich resist splitting large lots into narrower ones where the result would crowd houses within their gardens or need an extra driveway crossing. Leftover parts of historic estates are also protected from further division. Beyond the heritage area boundary, the mapped minimum of 550 square metres per lot and the usual controls apply. Check your lot’s status on a planning certificate, then seek advice before spending on subdivision plans.
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.