Start with the right order

A knockdown rebuild in Newcastle or Lake Macquarie has more moving parts than many owners expect. Your builder, your designer, the council or certifier, Subsidence Advisory NSW, the utility companies and the demolition contractor all have a role. Each step depends on the one before it, so getting the order right early saves weeks later.

This guide covers what to sort out before the old house comes down when your block sits in a Mine Subsidence District. It stays at a general level. Your builder, designer and certifier will set out the specifics for your property.

Check whether your block is in a Mine Subsidence District

Much of Newcastle and Lake Macquarie sits inside Mine Subsidence Districts, the result of the region's long coal mining history. Building work in those districts, including the new home in a knockdown rebuild, needs approval from Subsidence Advisory NSW.

The first step is simply to find out whether your block is inside a district. Subsidence Advisory NSW can confirm this, and your builder or designer will usually check it as part of their early work.

Understand which approvals cover what

There are usually several approvals in a knockdown rebuild, and it helps to know which one covers which part of the job.

Demolition approval: in NSW, demolition is either Complying Development, signed off with a CDC from a registered certifier or council, or it needs a Development Application lodged with council. Heritage listed properties and homes in many heritage conservation areas usually go through a DA.
New home approval: the new house also needs a CDC or a DA. Often demolition and the new build are approved together.
Subsidence Advisory NSW approval: in a Mine Subsidence District, the new home's design needs this approval as well.

In many cases, the demolition can go ahead under its approval while other parts of the new home's paperwork are still being finalised. Whether that makes sense for you depends on how close the builder is to starting.

Time the demolition to the build

One of the most common problems in a knockdown rebuild is clearing the block too early. If the house comes down months before the builder is ready, you are left with an empty lot, a longer stretch of rent elsewhere and a site that may need tidying again before slab work.

The better approach is to work back from the builder's expected start date. Once your new home approvals, including the Subsidence Advisory NSW approval, are in place or close to it, the demolition program can be locked in. We ask owners where each approval is at before we set a date for that reason.

Sort out the services early

Disconnecting services takes time and involves several organisations. In the Hunter:

Electricity: Ausgrid supplies Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and the rest of the Lower Hunter
Water and sewer: Hunter Water
Gas: Jemena, where the house is connected
Telecommunications: your phone and internet provider

Requests for disconnection should be lodged well before the demolition date. A Before You Dig Australia (BYDA) enquiry also goes in ahead of any excavation, such as removing footings, piers or old pipes. Your builder may want some services kept for the build, such as a temporary power supply or a water connection, so talk to them before you lodge anything.

Get the asbestos survey done

A house finished before 1990 may well have asbestos somewhere in it. Many houses in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie are older than that, especially post-war fibro cottages and weatherboard homes with later additions. A hazardous materials survey ahead of demolition identifies what asbestos is present, where it is and whether it is friable or non-friable.

The survey shapes the demolition plan. NSW law says a SafeWork NSW licensed removalist has to do the job once there is over 10 square metres of non-friable material, and any friable asbestos is Class A licence work only. SafeWork NSW must be notified before licensed removal starts, so that notice period needs to sit inside the program.

Removal, clearance, then demolition

On the day, the asbestos comes out first. On our jobs, the asbestos is taken out by removalists who hold a SafeWork NSW licence. Once removal is complete, the site is inspected. Where friable material was removed, the clearance check is done by a licensed asbestos assessor, and for non-friable jobs, the check falls to an independent competent person. Nobody restarts work there until the clearance certificate is in hand.

Only then does the main demolition start: the roof, frame and walls come down, materials are sorted, and the slab, footings and stumps are removed as agreed with your builder. Asbestos waste is only taken to a site permitted by law to take it, and NSW EPA tracks each load through WasteLocate.

Agree on the handover

Before work starts, agree with your builder what the block should look like when demolition is finished. Common questions include:

Should all footings and piers be removed, or only those in the new footprint?
Are any trees, fences, retaining walls or driveways being kept?
Does the builder need the block levelled, or will they do their own site cut?
Which documents do they need, such as the asbestos clearance certificate?

Getting these answers early means the builder can start without a return visit.

A short checklist before demolition

Confirm whether your block is in a Mine Subsidence District
Check where your demolition, new home and Subsidence Advisory NSW approvals are at
Agree a target start date with your builder
Lodge disconnection requests with Ausgrid, Hunter Water, Jemena and your telco
Book a hazardous materials survey
Confirm what your builder needs at handover

When you are ready, send us the address, photos and where your approvals are up to, and we will plan the demolition around your build.

Knockdown Rebuild in a Mine Subsidence District: What to Sort Before Demolition