The COVID virus has had a huge impact on the world and will no doubt have very far ranging and long lasting impacts on the world economy, society and the environment. One apparent impact has been greater isolation and a big increase in people working from home and staying at home for longer periods of time. Mostly this has been done on an informal basis but equally it can be formalised.
The Development Regulations 2008 have restated that home activity requirements means use of a site by a person resident on the site:-
- Assistance by more than 1 person who is not resident in the dwelling
- Use (whether temporarily or permanently) of a floor area exceeding 30 square metres
- The imposition of the services provided by the public utility organisation of any demand or load greater than that which is ordinarily imposed by other uses of the services in the locality
- The display of goods in a window or about the dwelling or its curtilage
- The use of vehicle exceeding 3 tonne tare in weight.
Usually home activity approval is sought when someone wants to formalise the use of a portion of their dwelling for a non-residential land use. Provided the criteria above are complied with a letter to Council suffices as notification of the intention to operate a home activity.
The range of uses that a home activity can apply to are fairly unlimited some obvious ones would be a home office, consulting rooms, tutoring facility or similar uses. But there is no reason the activity should be limited to these type of land uses alone. More recently I obtained endorsement from Council to operate a small still for the distillation of spirits for the manufacture of Gin at a residential address. The endorsement of Council was necessary so the owner and business partner could obtain the required licence from the Australian Taxation Office and/or Liquor Licensing Authority.