Illegal activity or land use

Unauthorised development Illegal clearing

Unauthorised development or building work

Council has a statutory role in ensuring compliance with approvals as well as dealing with unauthorised development. This includes illegal land use or unauthorised building activity.

We encourage people to undertake their land use activities with proper consent and approvals to avoid causing a nuisance or acting in breach of legislation.

We also rely on the community to report unauthorised work and provide evidence to assist Council in taking action.

Compliance Officers use their discretion when dealing with such matters, taking into account the evidence, cost to the community of any action, details of the case, public policy and legal precedent.

Council has a Compliance Policy(PDF, 130KB) which guides the approach and response to a range of compliance issues.

Reporting unauthorised development

If you believe you have unauthorised work or development at your property, or for a property you're considering buying, you should contact Council to discuss how it can be handled. Read more about buying and selling property.

If you have concerns about a neighbouring property, we encourage all residents to talk to their neighbours about nuisance problems before contacting us.

Illegal vegetation clearing

Certain vegetation on public and private land is protected under NSW legislation.

If you suspect vegetation clearing has been carried out unlawfully, you can report an illegal activity to Council.

Reports of unlawful clearing in rural zones will be referred to the NSW Environmental Protection Authority. Your personal details will be kept confidential.