Yass Council has made two social media posts over the last week without any further information regarding their building services dept. and their animal shelter. It has alarmed some residents and questions have been posed as to whether Council can function and deliver services needed by its rate payers.
The building statement says, “due to lack of staff shortages (down) there will be Changes to Building Certification Services.
Due to recent changes in the Development Assessment Team, Yass Valley Council will be pausing its building certification services as of 28th March 2025.
Council will no longer provide the following, as they are required to be issued/undertaken by an accredited certifier:
· Complying development certificates
· Construction certificates
· Occupation certificates
· Critical stage inspections
· Swimming pool compliance certificates
Moving forward, the team will continue to provide the following essential services:
· Plumbing and drainage inspections
· Issuing approvals under s.68 of the Local Government Act which relate to plumbing and drainage, onsite sewage management systems, and solid fuel heaters
· Building information certificates
For your building certification needs, you will now need to contact a qualified private certifier. You can find a private certifier here: www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au
If you currently have a complying development certificate, construction certificate, or occupation certificate application with Council, we will contact you as soon as possible to advise of the next steps. Thank you for your understanding as we navigate these changes. If you have any questions, please contact the Development Assessment Support Team via the Customer Service Desk. Call us: +61 2 6226 1477, Email us: Council@yass.nsw.gov.au
There have been many negative reports in metropolitan media regarding some disreputable certifiers and it is hoped that quality control is not lost during the construction phase.
More recently Council stated, “We regret to advise that the Yass Valley Animal Shelter will be closed from today until further notice. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and greatly appreciate your understanding and patience during this time. This is due to staff shortages and please be advised that there will be limited ranger service available while the shelter is closed.
In case of an animal emergency, please contact Yass Police on 02 6226 9399. For any other animal enquiries, such as help with a stray dog or if you need information on how to contact other animal welfare agencies, our customer service team is available to help by email council@yass.nsw.gov.au or phone on 02 6226 1477.
Thank you again for your patience, and we hope to resume normal service soon.”
What is going on at Council? Does there appear to be a staff exodus? The Times will pose a number of questions to the Mayor and the Acting GM for next week’s edition.
The South West Slopes Times covers an area approximately the size of Fiji in country NSW. We look after a population of more than 50,000 people with our staff servicing 7 major towns and dozens of villages with our story telling footprint.
We offer weekly print editions at $3 a copy and we also offer digital subscriptions across 3 months $30, 6 months $60 and 12 months $120.
We are one of the last truly local independent family run newspaper businesses in the state.
Contact us today to find out how we can promote your business or organisation across our huge network by emailing ads@thetimes.net.au or by calling 0413 763 216.
If you have a news tip, lead or scoop for us please make contact as we love celebrating our communities. You can contribute articles via our South West Slopes Times website.