Sutherland Shire local stuck in a rental due to red tape in the building of his house
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Now, speaking of the housing crisis, I've got an important question here. Are you stuck living in a rental because of red tape with your renovations? So listen to Tyler has been in touch with me, drive at 2gb.com. Have a listen to Tyler's story. This is another one. So Tyler and his wife are 32 years old. They've got a three-year-old son. They're building a new house in Wooloway in the Sutherland Shire. And in the meanwhile, while they're building their home, they're renting in Glenfield in our Southwest.

So Tyler's been told by his developer, Masterton Homes, that his home will be completed by October. So the family, well, they should be able to move in in October because the house will be done. All they've got to do is the landscaping, the fencing, and a bit of the driveway. But the house is ready to go, more or less, by October. However, they need a partial occupation certificate to move in. So this lets you live in the house while you finish off the landscaper. And guess what?

The certifier is now telling Tyler that according to the Sutherland Shire Council rules, he can't get the occupation certificate because his block of land is dual occupancy. Even though it's a fully detached dwelling, because it's dual occupancy, unless the landscaping's done, he won't get an occupation certificate. Dear, oh dear. Tyler Trusty, he's 2GB's listener here at 2GB, and he's on the line for us. Tyler, g'day.

Good afternoon, Chris. I'm frustrated for you. Oh, mate, it's just, yeah, doesn't make any sense, to be honest.

You know, you've got a housing and a rental crisis, and the sooner we're out of our rental, another family could potentially be renting there. And, yeah, they want us to lay grass and get plants in and, you know, tidy up around the house before we move in. It's just ridiculous. So I was always under the impression that you can get a partial occupation certificate while you do your landscaping.

Mate, that's exactly right. That's the impression I was under. But because it's classed as a dual occupancy, apparently Sullivan Shire Council, there's a condition in their DA conditions for dual occupancy, which state that, yeah, it rules out any chance of getting a partial occupation certificate. So, Tyler, what did, did you speak to council? What have they told you?

I've spoken to council twice. I've got two different answers. One was it's a state government legislative issue and the other time it was referred back to the certifier. And what does the certifier say? He's governed by the DA conditions which are imposed by Sutherland Shire Council. And Sutherland Shire Council is saying, oh well it's the planning department's fault, are they?

Yes, that's correct. And I reached out to the planning department and they've referred it back to the certifier. Well, the planning minister, we spoke to Paul Scully, right? He didn't want anything to do with it. He said that it's the certifier's problem. And Sutherland Shire Council, when we asked them, they said also it's the certifier's problem. So where are you at, Tyler?

Mate, my head's just spinning. I don't know where to go from here. We need to get in that house so we can stop paying rent and free up this rental to another family that needs it. How much are you paying in rent, if you don't mind me asking? $6.50 at the moment. So that's $6.50 a week that you could be saving while you lay grass yourself? Yep, yep.

Hey, Tyler, we're going to stay on it, all right? So Paul Scully's office, they basically said, forget it, we don't care. I'll put you over to the guys, give us the certifier's number, we'll see how we can go. But really, it seems like you're at some sort of bureaucratic standoff and we've got a bit of a knack here of cracking through these bureaucratic standoffs. So if you give us all the details, we'll continue on, all right?

Mate, I appreciate it, Chris. We'll do our best. That's Tyler Trusty, a Drive listener and in one hell of a pickle. How frustrating, right? You've got the house finished by Masterton Homes in Woolaware.

And they said, yep, you'll be right to move in in October. It's just got a bit of grass to lay, the plants to put in, the fencing to do. You can do that while you live in a home, right? No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Not according to the planning department. Not according to Sutherland Shire Council. You've got bylaws and this laws and DA conditions here, there and everywhere. Why? Why? Why?