Randwick joins neighboring councils in opposing weekend construction

By SAM PASHMI

Randwick Council is joining with Woollahra, Waverley and Bayside councils to oppose government plans to green-light weekend construction without council approval. A motion was passed at a Randwick Council meeting on May 24th calling for a letter to be addressed to NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet and NSW Minister for Planning Anthony Roberts about the council’s concerns.

The letter will call for maintaining the prohibition of unapproved construction on Sundays and public holidays, and opposes extending construction hours without “adequate consultation with the community.”

The option to extend current construction hours without approval was raised by Anthony Roberts at a Property Council lunch on May 4th, as reported by the Sydney Morning Herald. 

A previous construction order, which permitted weekend construction without approval, was implemented by NSW government as a response to Covid-19 related concerns, and allowed for work on Saturday from 8am to 5pm, and on Sundays from 9am to 5pm with certain noise restrictions. The order has been extended multiple times since it was introduced, although expired on March 31st of this year.

Currently, individual developments need approval from relevant governing bodies to be allowed to do construction on weekends, but councils are preemptively opposing any changes to this policy, as was foreshadowed by Roberts.

Extension of construction order ‘not needed’: Randwick Mayor

Randwick Mayor Dylan Parker said in a statement to City Hub that “people understand the need for extended construction hours especially during dire times, but the community has been put through a lot over the past two years.”

Councils are prepared to take swift action if plans are made to re-extend the order, or make it permanent. Parker said at the Randwick Council meeting on May 24 that the issue had been brought to the attention of Randwick council by in a joint Mayoral meeting with other concerned councils and councillors.

“Although it was a smart idea during the time of Covid, it’s not needed now or for the foreseeable future” Parker said.

Randwick Councillor Christie Hamilton said at the recent council meeting that “it’s very important that we express our awareness and concern over something like this changing.” Cr Hamilton also noted that when NSW Government does go ahead with allowing weekend construction, “we would have some advance notice, and not just an article in the paper.”