House demolition Southern Highlands

Wingecarribee Shire Council

Approvals

Wingecarribee Shire Council lists demolition among development that may be approved as complying development, a fast-track CDC from the council or an accredited certifier when the development standards are met. Development that isn’t exempt or complying needs a DA, lodged through the NSW Planning Portal.

Heritage

Wingecarribee Shire Council requires consent for all demolition of any building on a heritage site and strongly discourages demolishing heritage items and period buildings in conservation areas. Complying development isn’t available for locally listed heritage items, and if demolition is approved the council would require a photographic and written archival record of the building first. Named conservation areas include Berrima, Berrima Landscape, Bowral, Bundanoon, Anglewood (Burradoo), Burradoo Landscape and others.

Trees

Wingecarribee Shire Council requires a permit to prune or remove trees that are heritage listed or in a heritage conservation area, mapped for biodiversity, habitat for threatened species, or required to be kept by a development consent. Removing 10 or more trees needs a DA, and penalties apply if the procedure isn’t followed.

Flood and bushfire

Wingecarribee’s Bush Fire Prone Land Map, certified by the NSW Rural Fire Service, took effect on 15 July 2025 and adds a medium-risk category that includes grasslands. Complying development isn’t allowed on BAL-40 or flame zone land, and on lower-risk bushfire prone land it needs a BAL certificate from an accredited consultant.