Wingecarribee Shire Council
Private building certifier in New Berrima
New Berrima is a planned cement-works village of detached homes. CertifiBuild certifies additions, rebuilds, garages and pools here, and the first design issue is usually how a project sits on the street frontage.
NSW 2577
Class 1 homes and Class 10 structures
Local rules
New Berrima: a planned village with clear frontages
A company township
The village began as a company town planned beside the cement works of Southern Portland Cement. Plans for the township went to council in 1928, and building and business lots were sold that November. The first subdivision had 613 lots, though that says nothing about today's lots. In 2021 the village had 250 private dwellings. Among occupied homes, stand-alone houses were 97.8% and flats 2.2%, and no semis or townhouses were counted.
Village character
In council's precinct planning, the village is seen as suburban in feel, with a planted buffer screening the cement works. Open land separates it from Berrima, giving it a distinct identity. House work begins with the development control plan (DCP) that New Berrima shares with Medway. Each lot's heritage status is checked too.
Frontages, drainage and bushfire
The village DCP sets front setbacks by looking at neighbouring homes, so the existing street pattern matters. Council exhibited a drainage master plan in July and August 2026, which is still under review. Bushfire maps cover about half the village, mostly as grassland, not forest. Check your own lot.
Typical work
Common projects and how they get approved
What owners build here
Nearly all homes here are detached houses, so most jobs improve one home at a time. Typical Class 1 and 10 jobs include:
- Rear living additions that link better to the garden and outdoor areas.
- Kitchen and bathroom renovations combined with small extensions.
- Garages and carports, designed so they do not overpower a modest house from the street.
- Pools and roofed outdoor rooms in back yards, kept clear of drainage paths.
- Knockdown rebuilds aligned with neighbouring front setbacks.
Granny flats may also suit some rear yards, subject to the lot size, access and approval pathway chosen.
How approval usually works
For a rebuild, draw the neighbouring houses on your site plan and say why the new front line was chosen. Corner lots must address both streets. Under the DCP, an attached garage should be limited to 40% of the house frontage and six metres at most, and sit back so the front door stays prominent. Those DCP rules apply to DAs; exempt work and CDCs have their own tests. (A CDC is the fast-track approval under state rules.) Before you set floor heights or site a pool or garage, get council's current flood information instead of leaning on the exhibited drainage plan. CertifiBuild reviews frontage, garage and drainage questions together for your lot, so the street-facing design is right first time.
Our services
From approval to sign-off.
One certifier for your whole New Berrima job, from the first plan check to the occupation certificate.
Local questions
Questions we hear about this suburb.
No two lots in New Berrima are the same. Give us your address and we will check every map that affects it.
See the council pageCan I extend my New Berrima house towards the street?
Possibly, but the village development control plan (DCP) judges front setbacks against the neighbouring homes, so the existing street pattern sets the limit. Your plans should show the adjoining houses, the entry, the proposed building line and the garden left over, with a note explaining the chosen line. Corner lots must respond to both streets. These DCP rules apply to a development application, while exempt work and complying development have their own tests. Check your lot’s heritage status and bushfire mapping as well.
Is a double garage allowed on a New Berrima house?
Possibly. The village development control plan (DCP) weighs how wide and dominant a garage looks, not just whether it fits. An attached garage should be kept to 40% or less of the house frontage, to a maximum of six metres, and sit back so the front door stays prominent. Plan the driveway, crossover and any street trees together. After that, decide between a complying development certificate (CDC), which has its own tests, and a development application to Wingecarribee Shire Council.
Does the drainage master plan mean my lot floods?
No, the plan by itself cannot answer that. Council exhibited the drainage master plan for the village in July and August 2026 and is still reviewing it, and it does not work as a lot-by-lot flood map. Ask Wingecarribee Shire Council what flood information it currently holds for your property, including any flood levels or overland flow paths. Get that before setting floor heights or siting a pool, garage or retaining wall, and keep outdoor rooms and pools clear of drainage paths.
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.