Shellharbour City Council
Private building certifier in Oak Flats
CertifiBuild certifies additions, rebuilds, garages and granny flats in Oak Flats. Before design, owners should know if their lot has The Boulevarde’s special building line or sits within the garden-suburb street views.
NSW 2529
Class 1 homes and Class 10 structures
Local rules
A 1920s garden suburb beside the lake
Planned streets and views
Shellharbour's Development Control Plan (DCP, council's detailed design rules) traces Oak Flats to a 1920s subdivision shaped by two planning movements, the Garden City and the City Beautiful. It highlights the streets that circle Knob Hill and the way Central Avenue was lined up toward wider views. These shape planning today. They do not prove a house is original or that all lots are the same size.
Growth after the war
The local museum notes that housing grew again once the Second World War ended. Most homes are detached. There are also some semis and townhouses, and there shared driveways and dual occupancy layouts become relevant. A survey and earlier approvals reveal what remains of the first subdivision layout on the site.
Controls that bite
Wedged between the rail line and the lake, the shopping centre has design guidance of its own, such as keeping Central Avenue's boulevard feel. Beyond the shopping strip, the DCP's heritage provisions seek to protect the subdivision layout and important views to the lake. Certain land fronting The Boulevarde carries an extra setback line, which is taken from where the street boundary runs. It does not cover every lakeside or residential lot.
Typical work
Common projects and how they get approved
What owners build here
The established detached stock brings steady house work in Oak Flats. Typical jobs include:
- Rear additions and new living areas, positioned after the special building line is plotted where it applies.
- Second storeys, checked against privacy, sunlight and the recognised street views.
- Knockdown rebuilds on older lots.
- Granny flats, where access and outdoor space still work around the existing house.
- Garages, decks and pools sized to what the envelope really allows.
Apartments over shops and mixed-use schemes in the centre fall beyond Class 1 and 10, and a certifier licensed for those building classes must take them on.
How approval usually works
Many Oak Flats house projects can be checked for a CDC (fast-track approval under state rules), while others need a development application (DA). On identified Boulevarde land, the survey must show the reference point and the special line before new rooms, decks or pools are placed. A deep lot does not always mean a deep building envelope. Do not borrow the rule for an unlisted lot just because it has a similar lake view. Where the heritage context applies, explain how access, building position and lake views are handled. That context is not a listing for every house, so check the actual records. Near the town centre, confirm whether its design outcomes reach your lot. CertifiBuild plots these lines early and keeps construction drawings matched to the approved design.
Our services
From approval to sign-off.
One certifier for your whole Oak Flats job, from the first plan check to the occupation certificate.
Local questions
Questions we hear about this suburb.
No two lots in Oak Flats are the same. Give us your address and we will check every map that affects it.
See the council pageDoes The Boulevarde building line cover every lakeside home in Oak Flats?
No. Shellharbour’s development control plan (DCP) names particular land fronting The Boulevarde and explains how the special building line is measured, starting from where the street boundary runs. Check your lot against that description before applying it. A similar lake outlook does not bring an unlisted lot under the same rule. Where the line does apply, have the surveyor plot the reference point and the line itself before placing new rooms, decks or a pool. A deep lot may still have a shallow envelope.
Are the older Oak Flats houses all heritage listed?
No. Oak Flats started life as a carefully planned 1920s subdivision, but that history alone does not turn each house into a heritage item. The heritage controls in the development control plan (DCP) aim to protect the street layout around Knob Hill and important views to the lake, which is a separate idea from listing one particular house. Look up the heritage records for your property and any listed neighbour. Where the heritage context applies, explain how your design handles access, building position and lake views.
Is there room for a granny flat on my Oak Flats block?
Frequently, yes, if the block and design meet the secondary dwelling rules. Gather an up to date survey, details of how you get onto the block, and the approved plans for your current home, so the granny flat fits with a workable path in and usable outdoor space. On identified Boulevarde land, the special building line may cut into the space you have. Many projects can be tested for a complying development certificate (CDC), the state fast-track approval, while others need a development application.
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.