Building Site Rules

If you are undertaking building works in the Town of Cambridge, there are a number of rules in place to protect the amenity of neighbours and ensure a safe site is maintained.

Building Site Signage

The Building Services (Registration) Regulations 2011 states that registered builders must erect a legible sign of reasonable dimensions on all works under their control.

The sign must:

  • be located in a prominent position on the site and be able to be read by members of the public from outside the site;
  • be of reasonable dimensions and written in clearly legible letters; and
  • contain the following details:
    • the name, registration number and contact phone number of the building contractor; and
    • the name and registration number of the nominated supervisor for the building contractor.

Failure to comply with the signage requirements may result in prosecution.

Noise & Working Out of Hours 

Building construction and maintenance works are permitted to be undertaken between 7am to 7pm Monday to Saturday. 

If you wish to work outside of these hours you must obtain Town of Cambridge approval by completing the following:

  1. Complete an Out-of-Hours Application (at least seven days before the proposed works)
  2. Attach a Noise Management Plan.

Noise Management Plan

A Noise Management Plan must accompany your application, and include:

  • Construction or work site location description;
  • Reasons why work is proposed outside the hours of 7.00am to 7.00pm, Monday to Saturday and/or on a Sunday or public holiday;
  • Specific dates and times when work will be undertaken;
  • Description and duration of activities which are likely to emit noise that fails to meet standards prescribed under Regulation 7 of the Environmental Protection (Noise) Regulations 1997;
  • Information about what procedures and measure will be taken to control the noise (including vibration) emissions;
  • Confirmation that a letter will be sent to all affected residents and businesses advising of the out-of-hours works and associated noise. The letter must include a 24 hour complaints contact number (please include letter with your application);
  • Complaint handling and response procedures; and
  • Indicative noise emission levels on the site.
Fees 
 Application fee $110 
Late application fee (application received less than seven days before proposed date of out-of-hours work). $160 

Dust & Sand Suppression

It is the responsibility of the builder to ensure that dust or sand coming from construction activities does not cause a nuisance to nearby residents.

Where complaints of dust or sand drift are confirmed by our authorised officers, directions may be issued to rectify the problem. This can include applying water to suppress the dust, or installing a sediment control fence.  The direction may also instruct all work to stop until such measures have been put in place.

Failure to comply with a direction on a demolition/building site may result in the issue of an infringement or legal action.

For more information on preventing sand/sediment drift please see our Sand Drift Prevention and Sediment Control Guidelines(PDF, 803KB)

Verge Permits for Storing Building Materials

You need a verge permit before you:

  • use the verge for temporary storage of building material
  • excavate adjacent to a street or verge
  • install a gantry or scaffold on a verge
What to include with your application
  1. Completed Verge Permit Application(PDF, 112KB)
  2. A building site plan (scale 1:100 or 1:200), indicating verge area to be used for storage;
  3. Proposed location of security fencing, skip bin, building materials (e.g. bricks, sand, timber and steel, etc).
Things to consider
  • Only bins that fully contain refuse (and prevent refuse from blowing away) are acceptable.
  • Gantries, hoarding, scaffolding or any construction on a verge requires a general application approval for a Building Licence.
  • Street trees must be protected at all times.
  • Footpaths must not be obstructed and must be maintained in good condition, free of building material and rubble. In some circumstances and subject to Town approval, the footpath may be temporarily relocated provided a 1.5 metre wide pedestrian access is maintained. Footpaths must be shown on associated plans.
  • Site storage sheds/buildings and site toilets are not permitted on verges.
  • Separate applications are needed for driveway crossover and verge treatment approvals.
Fees
Store materials on a verge (residential) $6.20/m2 per month
Store materials on a verge (commercial or non-residential) $6.20/m2 per week
Gantry application $0.75/m per week
Hoarding, fencing or street enclosure application $0.75/m per week

Skip Bins

You can have a skip bin on your verge for up to two weeks without a permit as long as the bin fits wholly on the verge and does not obstruct a footpath.  In cases where the skip bin will be on the verge for longer than two weeks you will need to obtain a Verge Permit(PDF, 112KB). 

Rules for storing Skip Bins
  1. Where possible, skip bins should be stored on private property.
  2. If safe to do so, a skip bin can be stored on the verge immediately adjacent the property.
  3. Skip bins must not be placed on the roadway, across a footpath, in parking bays or in rear lanes.  If a skip bin is stored on a road, footpath or in a lane the supplier/hirer will be given 24 hours to remove it.  If not, the Town may remove the bin and a penalty may apply.
  4. The hirer is liable for any damage to the footpath, street trees, drainage pits, verge, kerb or road surface resulting from storage of the skip bin.
  5. The hirer is responsible for removal all debris left on the verge after the skip bin has been removed.
  6. Dangerous or hazardous waste must not be deposited in a skip bin.
  7. Asbestos must not be deposited in a skip bin, and must be handled in accordance with Health (Asbestos) Regulations 1992.

Access Private Property Through a Park (Park Access)

If you require access through a Town of Cambridge park for the purpose of delivering or removing large bulky items, you will need to apply for permission to access your property via the park.

Please complete a Parks & Reserves Access Permit(PDF, 241KB) and email the completed form to mail@cambridge.wa.gov.au  Our Customer Service Team will contact you regarding the fees payable. Please note that the correct applicant/contractor bank details must be provided for bond refunds, as refunds sent to the incorrect address/account will not be cancelled.

Please allow a minimum of 14 days from submission to the requested date, noting a maximum of five days access.

Fees 
 Major works (construction by a builder or developer) $378/day
$231/half day 
 Minor works (maintenance by a resident or private individual) $86.63/day
$57.75/half day 
 Refundable bond $500/minor works
$5000/major works

Working in the Road Reserve

The road reserve is any part of the road, verge, median or footpath. You must obtain Town of Cambridge approval before carrying out any work in the public road reserve. This includes operating a crane or cherry picker, connecting to services, or filming on the street.

Apply to Work in the Public Road Reserve

Once your application is approved by the Town, works can commence. Upon completion, the site should be inspected for any damage to infrastructure or private property. Any damage needs to be rectified immediately.

Traffic Management Plans

The Town requires 21 days notice to process Complex, Ongoing, or site specific Traffic Management Plans (TMP).

The Town requires 7 days notice to process Basic Short Term work or TMPs.

Standard Conditions for Works in Public Road Reserves

  1. The standard approved hours of work are between 7.00 am - 5.00 pm, Monday - Saturday

     

  2. The Town must be notified 7 days prior to the works commencing and for each instance for ongoing works. 

     

  3. Residents and owners of affected properties must be notified at least 2 working days prior to the works commencing.

     

  4. Traffic Management Plans if required must be acknowledged and approved by the Town prior to works commencing.

     

  5. All parking restrictions and Clearway restrictions must be complied with.  Temporary parking restrictions may be arranged with the Council's Rangers on telephone 9347 6083 (fees may apply).

     

  6. All damage to road, footpath and verge must be repaired in accordance with the "Restoration and Reinstatement Specification for Local Governments in Western Australia" published by IPWEA

     

  7. All requirements of Worksafe must be complied with.  A Safe Works Method Statement for the works must be available on site if the works involve High Risk Construction Work and involves 5 or more workers on site.

     

  8. The contractor shall hold a current public liability insurance policy to the value of a minimum of $10 million.

     

  9. The Town is indemnified against any claim or action arising from the operation.

     

  10. Vehicles, construction materials and the stock piling of sand are not permitted on the footpath or parks areas at any time.

     

  11. The contractor shall apply to the relevant public utility authorities (and the "Perth One Call") for approval to alter any utility service that is in conflict with the works.  Prior to excavation works, all public utilities (Telstra, Alinta Gas, Western Power, and Water Corp) must be positively identified and located.

     

  12. This permit must be in the possession of the operator at all times during the operation of which the permit is issued, and be made available for inspection by any authorised officer of the Town of Cambridge or police officer on request.

 

Managing Large Building Sites (Construction Management Plans)

Construction Management Plans provide for the regulation and management of large demolition and construction sites in the Town, to reduce their impact on the surrounding area.

The Town's approval of a Construction Management Plan (CMP) must be obtained before starting any large scale demolition, construction or excavation works.

View current Construction Management Plans 

Apply for a Construction Management Plan
  1. Read Policy 027 Construction Management Plans(PDF, 466KB)
  2. Read Construction Management Plan Guidelines(PDF, 794KB)
  3. Complete a Construction Management Plan Application(PDF, 393KB)
  4. Complete a Verge Permit Application(PDF, 126KB) (if applicable)
  5. Complete a Construction Work Zone Application(PDF, 156KB) (if applicable)

Construction work zones

You must obtain Town of Cambridge approval to use car parking bays adjacent to a construction site for employee or contractor parking.

Apply for a Construction Work Zone(PDF, 156KB)

Fees 
Area where fee is specified (bay cost/day Monday to Saturday) Actual cost 
Area where no fee is specified (bay cost/day Monday to Saturday based on 6 lineal metres per bay)  $10 per bay (or 6 metres) 
Work Zone sign  $25 each 
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