› Flat Chat Strata Forum › Talkin’ ’bout a renovation › Obtaining Council decisions on building works by other owners › Current Page
Platform Shoes, In answer to your original question: If you are in NSW, you (or any other member of the public) probably do have the right to view the documents relevant to this matter because councils must supply information about orders and development approvals via GIPA (Government Information (Public Access) Act). A Freedom of Information application, (which will actually be a GIPA application in NSW) is the method by which you claim that right. You may be allowed to print or copy what you are shown.
You can read about GIPA at https://www.ipc.nsw.gov.au/access-government-information# and details of how to apply should be on your council’s website. I don’t know about the equivalent laws in other states, but searching for “Freedom of Information” on your council’s website would be a good place to start.
You already received a reply to your complaint when you were told that there were orders to demolish; after that the compliance issue is between the owner and council, not you. I don’t think its reasonable to expect to be sent a confirmation letter about something that is a council matter with someone else.
I don’t understand what you would hope to gain by seeing written confirmation, since you already know the garages now comply. You are unlikely to get much more detail than that. You would be able to see it in writing yourself, but I don’t see how that will help you. There is no need to be concerned whether there will be a written record of the outcome kept, because the matter is recorded in writing in the council property file which will still be there in future if needed for some reason. However, if you really want to see the outcome of the inspection, an FOI application is the route to go at this point.
This is all assuming that simply asking the relevant owners nicely is unlikely to get them to show you their copies of the paperwork that they received?