Shayne Silcox.
Camera IconShayne Silcox. Credit: Supplied/Supplied

Opinion: Melville chief sets record straight

Shayne Silcox, City of Melville CEOMelville Gazette

THE letter from Dayle Kenny (‘Standards must be kept’, Melville Times, September 19) states the City “endorsed for approval” a development application that was not compliant with the National Construction Code (NCC).

This statement of fact is incorrect and this suggestion and interpretation could only be made due to the limited understanding of the application of a regulatory process.

The correct position is that a “development approval” is a conceptual proposal for a building.

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The details provided for assessment are minimal and not sufficiently detailed for construction purposes.

Any “development approval” granted is subject to a number of conditions which will require additional information to be provided for assessment prior to granting any building approval or licenses.

Further, the National Construction Code is a performance-based document having technical requirements which refer to the Australian Standards as an acceptable construction manual with the codes.

These standards – approximately 60 – reference all methods of constructions for the building and will be required to be addressed prior to the issue of a building permit.

To state the building is approved as unsafe at a preliminary stage of planning is misinformed.

The City of Melville does not condone safety breaches in building standards and will not approve building plans that contain safety breaches.

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