Works Acceptance

A Works Acceptance Submission must be lodged after construction works have been fully completed in accordance with the conditions and approved plans.

The Works Acceptance Submission Form details all the required documentation for the submission. The Consulting Engineer’s signature is required on the declaration.

Submissions must be emailed to planningadmin@cairns.qld.gov.au. After we review the complete submission, we will send a meeting invitation to your representative for the Works Acceptance Inspection. At the inspection, Council representatives will ensure the workmanship and infrastructure at the site meet the standards required and are completed in accordance with ‘As Constructed’ documents provided in the submission.

Generally, once the inspection is complete and the infrastructure can be accepted, we will issue a Works Acceptance Certificate.

The following is an overview of the process to a pass a Works Acceptance inspection and receive a Works Acceptance Certificate.

Step 1 – Submission

Download and review the Submission Guideline ( PDF, 0.44 MB ) and the Works Acceptance Submission Form ( PDF, 0.57 MB ).

The Submission Guideline complements the Submission Form and provides advice and notes to help ensure your application is complete and the resulting Works Acceptance Inspection is efficiently geared towards approval.

Start collating all supporting documentation necessary to submit a completed application.  We recommend you do this well in advance of submitting your application. It can take time to prepare all documentation and may involve third party professional assistance, including RPEQ certified engineers for example.

Once you have collated all your documents, ensure they are clearly labelled with the according Document Order Number, outlined on the Submission Form. For example, the ‘As Constructed’ Submission Form must be labelled as “Document 1”, the Electronic Management Plan must be labelled as “Document 2” and so on.

We have processes in place to ensure an efficient turnaround from submission to meeting. It is vital that you lodge a complete and compliant Works Acceptance Submission. An incomplete submission will not proceed past an initial assessment.

We prefer that you lodge your application electronically.

Step 2 – Assessment

The assessment of the Submission is a two-part process.

1. The initial assessment is an administrative check to confirm all documents required for the Works Acceptance have been submitted.
2. The technical assessment is a detailed review of the documents undertaken by Council Officers to confirm the content is correct and compliant.

Due to the administrative nature of the initial assessment, your application form must be entirely completed, including the documentation checklist. Our assessment will be carried out based on what has been detailed on the application form, missing information or incomplete sections will result in an application that cannot be assessed, and it will be returned to the you for re-submission.

You will be advised if Council identifies any errors or omissions in the Submission.

Step 3 – Inspection

Once we have completed and accepted the technical assessment, we will send a calendar invitation to your representative – typically the Consulting Engineer - for the Works Acceptance Inspection. Your representative is required to attend the inspection.

Representatives from across Council will be present at the inspection to ensure comprehensive technical expertise can be provided.

If we identify any areas of concern, we will communicate this at the inspection. Depending on the level of concern, we may also include details in the Works Acceptance Failure Notice.

Step 4 – Inspection Outcome

We will determine the outcome of the inspection based on the requirements outlined in the approved Planning or Operational Works Permits and associated approved plans.

If the inspection identifies defects, or the site is not ready at the time of inspection, it will not pass. In this instance, we will provide a Works Acceptance Failure Notice. This notice details the conditions that must be met and charges due before a re-inspection can be booked.

If the inspection outcome is determined to be a pass, you will be notified in writing shortly after the inspection. At this point, we will issue a Works Acceptance Certificate.

Step 5 – Works Acceptance Certification

Ater the Works Acceptance Certificate is issued, the development enters the Defects Liability Period, of at least 12 months, determined by Council.

During this Defects Liability period, the responsibility and liability for fixing defects remains with the developer. At this stage, you will be required to pay a Defects Liability Bond.

Some Works Acceptance Certificates are issued with conditions that must be met within 20 days of the Certificate being issued. Council will not approve the Survey Plans for the site or authorise commencement of use until these conditions have been adequately addressed.

After completion of the Defects Liability Period, we will conduct a Final Works Acceptance inspection. After a satisfactory inspection, you may submit a request for final acceptance of works and release from Defects Liability bond. You may request the Construction Security Bond be transferred to the Defects Liability Bond. Once received, and we have confirmed there are no outstanding fees and charges, we will confirm acceptance of works and arrange the release of the Defects Liability bond.

We will only issue Works Acceptance Certificate once all works are satisfactorily completed.

We highly recommend the Consulting Engineer audits the works before making the submission. If there are concerns about the works, please contact us about this before you make the submission.

If we identify uncompleted works during the inspection, this will likely result in a failure and no certificate will be issued until such time as the works are completed. A Re-Inspection Fee must be paid for a second inspection to assess the completed works. It is your responsibility to ensure all the works are completed prior to the inspection.

We suggest that you contact an Engineering Consultancy to help you prepare a Works Acceptance Submission. Many documents necessary for a complete submission require the certification of an RPEQ qualified engineer.

There is no initial charge for a Works Acceptance inspection. However, if the initial inspection does not pass, a re-inspection fee will be due before a re-inspection can be booked.

Development & Planning is committed to our Service Charter and we aim to uphold our service operating principles. Works Acceptance can be a complex process. The Works Acceptance Guideline ( PDF, 0.44 MB ) and Works Acceptance Submission Form ( PDF, 0.57 MB ) are designed to facilitate the process and ensure consistent, efficient, and effective outcomes for all parties.

Our goal is to have an inspection booked within 12 business days of the receipt of a complete submission and a Works Acceptance Certificate issued within 10 business days of the successful inspection. Timeframes will be impacted where submissions are incomplete, or inspections identify unresolved issues.

We welcome feedback on this process to ensure that it continually responds to the needs of customers. You can submit written feedback via email where it will be collected, reviewed and where necessary, actioned.

For assistance or questions, you can contact us via the following methods:

Phone

Call 1300 69 2247. Our Customer Service team will create a Customer Enquiry and you will receive a call back from a Council officer within 2 business days.

In person

Our Customer Service Centre at 119-145 Spence Street, Cairns is open from 8:30am to 4:30pm weekdays (excluding public holidays). Customer Service can create a Customer Enquiry and you will receive a call back from a Council officer within 2 business days.

Email

You can email a written enquiry.