How to get through Final OC with artificial turf

m1citi · May 06, 2020 11:36 am

Hi all. We are having some issues here regarding getting the final OC with artificial turf in our backyard which is required to be removed before we can get it approved. (Long story short - but we did not submit the plan before we had the turf done). We have spent so much money on it and now we are asked to remove them and replace with real turf which will be a few grans additional. This is going through CDC, that's why our initial thought of OK having the artificial ones via council is not applicable to CDC's requirement). We are first time building new house so not so familiar with it. If anyone has experienced this before and how did you get through without removing them off? Thanks!

bluemetal77 · Sep 30, 2020 10:09 pm

Yikes.. how is it going for you@ which council?

Stewie D · Oct 02, 2020 6:50 am

I think you are going to be out of luck. As part of your DA, the draftee/architect would have had to work out your hard surface to soft surface ratio for your property ( 60:40% ratio for our council ). It is partly about landscaping and natural vegetation but also about how much of your property can absorb rainwater. Artificial turf wouldn't qualify as soft landscaping in this regard.

Stewie

bluemetal77 · Oct 02, 2020 1:53 pm

We are contemplating artificial turf as well - our house is completed but no OC yet - and going by the mixed signals, i'm thinking we should put the cheapest turf out there for now and get the certificate first.

I don't fully understand why they have a problem with it - the artificial turf area is still porous and the water will drain (or needs to be drained) anyways - so not like its the equivalent of concreting?

Stewie D · Oct 02, 2020 3:19 pm

But it's not natural vegetation is it ? Otherwise we'd see people putting in artificial turf and plastic shrubs. Low maintenance for sure but not what the town planners had in mind when they came up with their DCP's

Stewie