Zoning

Does anyone know anything about zoning? Specifically farm zone?

I can't get through to the people we need to speak to at council - just getting voicemail.

I want to know if we can build a house on a farm zoned property that used to have a house there (destroyed by fire). I know the restrictions on a farm zone but I'm not certain on this. Ta.

The zoning stuff should be available on the council's website?

Not specifically for this. Website and zoning info says we can replace a house if we tear the old one down, but as there is no house now, is the property considered as bare land where we can't build (or have to fight to build) or does it recognize a house was there and we can replace it?

How long ago was the house burned down?
Generally you can replace a dwelling with another dwelling.

IMO the best thing to do is persist with calling the council and ask to talk to the town planner. I have yet to come across a town planner who wasn't helpful and totally on the ball with what is ok/not ok.

Thanks Zazou, that's what I was hoping. I think the house went in the Black Sat fires so it's been a while, although there is still rebuilding happening in the area.

Definitely chat to them. We live in farming zone and want to rebuild.
We got lots of conflicting information, like having to build on the same foot print (so demolish first), or having to start an extension that then becomes the house, then tear down the original. We have since found out that we can rebuild in a different position and once we have cert of occupancy, we will have 6 months to demolish the old house.

Chances are you should be fine, as there is precedence (there was an existing dwelling) and there may still be a building permit for it.

Thanks so much, Astrid. We're happy to build on the same spot, there is power and a septic tank there and I'm not envisioning huge issues but you never know hey?!

I'm in NSW, but usually with rural zonings, the ability to build a house is often not only dependent on what is permissible in the zoning tables but also on the size of the property.
If those things don't work for you, then you may need to rely on using the existing dwelling as your precedent (which you couldn't do in NSW because the house has been gone for more than a year). If using it as a precedent is possible in the your state, you would probably also need to find out if that dwelling was "lawfully constructed" ie had all the development and building approvals in place prior to being constructed.
If you can build a dwelling, I'm guessing you are going to need to meet current bushfire standards, and building in the same location may not be possible because of this.

Yep, Nic Nac it's the same here. Anything under 40 hectares and classified farm zone makes things pretty difficult if you want to build a house. Unless there is already a house. The property has a bushfire overlay on it which we're fine with and can work with planning so we make sure we have it all covered. We live and are planning to live in the thick of all of that so it's not only an overlay, it's just common sense for us.