Michael Wiegmann Design Service

28/11/2024

Australia’s Greatest Oxymoron – Town Planning
It is self-evident that the existing planning scheme has spectacularly failed most Australians. If you don’t believe this, you are dilutional.
The current system under which we slave is a mishmash of outdated legacy legislation and the ‘band aid’ patchwork of state, federal and local government mis-coordination. I don’t think I need to enumerate that plethora of planning instruments; suffice to say, if you’ve been around watching this slow-motion train-wreck for as long as I have, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.
So what are the options? Well, you could, as many of you reading this now – do nothing. You could take the John Galt path and completely withdraw from the system, wait for it to finish its inevitable implosion. Or you could take the path as demonstrated by Satoshi Nakamoto and cast the existing system aside and build a new system that is not fettered by the ignorance driven stupidity that we see today.
How would the latter system work? what would it look like? Firstly, zoning and density should be completely abandoned. OK, take a breath… This is to say that if you need a service facility you should build it where it is needed. There are many examples of this; The old corner shop did not need a Business zoning with carking stipulations, etc. to operate effectively. The only reason these things are a relic of the past is the ‘mega-mall’ and singular corporate entities that hold sway over consent authorities. In many parts of Europe I see 3 and 4 storey dwellings (usually multi-family) structures built in the middle of a field. Why, because that’s where the work is. Try building a dwelling with two or three kitchens in it (legally) and see how fast the compliance N***s jump on you.
In NSW, even though we are supposed to have a single planning instrument, the reality is that each little kingdom (aka LGA) is somehow ‘special’. The planning instruments themselves are rarely updated, unless to make them more stringent, many being 20 or more years old and over that 20 years have shown that they have failed the needs of the people living under them.
Why doesn’t anything change? Well generally speaking, it’s a case of vested interest. The politician has a vested interest in getting re-elected, so pandering is the order of the day. Ever pandered to a three-year-old? Great results aren’t they. So the ‘shelf-life’ of the office they hold dictates the short-term strategy. The same is absolutely true, but in the opposite, when talking about the public servants in planning. Their job is to keep their job and the more nonsense they can come up with the more work they will have, and the situation perpetuates. Just look at the porta-loo (Planning Portal) as a recent example.
The so-called “housing crisis” is not an unexpected result of the abject failure of ALL players. The mismanagement of state and federal finances doesn’t help either. In my youth I used to tell a joke – How many Irishmen does it take to change a light bulb. Ten, one to hold the bulb and nine to rotate the ceiling. Now look at how many people it takes to fix a pothole, if they get fixed at all.

Call now to connect with business.

16/12/2023

How did i miss this documentary into the banking system?

John Clarke and Bryan Dawe are laughing all the way to the bank.

30/11/2023

It's been a little while, but here is my latest offer to YouTube.

Blue Mountains Carwash & CafeThis is a chance for a service station of yesteryear to shine again. The proposed facelift and enhancements will provide the loc...

15/09/2023

For NSW Designers, Architects, Planners & Builders only;
Have you noticed how the Planning Portal is fu**ed?
I have been trying to lodge an application of a 10m² addition and deck for the past week and it will not let me get past the initial page / screen. I rang the ultra-informed nitwits at ServiceNSW only to be told, “We know about this fault, but just keep trying”. Sounds like a typical public servant’s solution to me.

I have informed them and the various councils I deal with that, after two days of trying (and evidence of failure), I will email the application directly to council and they can deal with the morons at PlanningNSW.

07/11/2021

Yet another sad tale of home-owners let down by the system. Shoddy builders, complete lack of quality control by government/agencies supposed to make sure all is to 'code'. But just think about this; a contract price of $630k for a 564m² house? Really? That's around $1100/m². What century was the contract signed in? I guess the old adage of 'you get what you pay for' applies here.

A couple's dream to build a home for their blended family on a waterfront block has been shattered, with experts advising the only way to fix the building's defects is to demolish it and rebuild.

05/10/2021

Slumming it…?
I think it’s been 5+ years since Rosemary Dillon has taken over the reigns at BMCC. In that time has she ever taken a call from a concerned ratepayer? Maybe, but I simply don’t know the magic phrase that gets this mystical entity on the phone.

Like most council staff, working from home, no one answer’s the phone; too busy feeding the fu***ng dog I guess.

I , unlike these useless turds, have been working from home for the last 43+ years; do I answer the phone? Every time it rings.

So, Rosey, babe, get you staff to get with it 🖕

02/09/2021

You’ve just gotta love some people and wonder how they got to have the job they’ve got.

Take this story for example; Now the engineer may or may not have a case to answer. The issue revolves around who he has to answer to. The NSW Building Commissioner, in his infinite wisdom has referred this individual to Engineers Australia (EA) for investigation. Really? If I am not mistaken, EA is a glee club, populated by like-minded people who have an overarching need to belong to something. I am not denigrating the great service that EA would provide to its ‘paying’ members, I’m suggesting the that referring this individual to a ‘glee cub’ with no legislative role in NSW by the Building Commissioner is the last thing that should be happening.

We are told that the Building Commissioner has sweeping powers within the industry. His actions in this case are hardly appropriate. And how much are we paying him, I hear you ask?

09/08/2021

So, this is not a saga as told by a proponent that was there at the start; No, it’s the sad (yet to finish)
tale of what happens when you own a pair of pliers and think it makes you a dentist.

Warning: Long rant. All words contained herein are found in the Oxford and Macquarie dictionary,
so f**k off if it offends.

As a Building Designer, I was asked by a colleague to, who was (and needed to) retire to, prepare a
BASIX certificate for a house he’d design. “Sure, send me the plans”. First mistake.

I got the plans. Urrrr. Over 300m². Need ABSA guy. Cool, that done and sorted. Back to client it went.
At this stage, I should point out that the client HAD ALREADY lodge the DA (c10/2020). Yes, without
the BASIX certificate. Yep, the pricks at Wollondilly Shire Council took the money just the same.

Do I have your interest?

Now, the sad thing is that the original building designer wasn’t quite reading the script. The owner
asked me to make a couple of changes to the “plans” already drawn. Not the application, not the
footprint, just a minor (yep, complete) redesign with the additions of an attic (100m²+), but nothing
major, right! Yeah, right.

That done, back to council with the owner as the applicant. (You can see where this is going, can’t
you?)

Then the earth resume’s its relentless orbit; rotation after unremitting rotation….. and nothing,
then-

At some point in the future, the client is informed that their 11.3ha property would not be able to
sustain the existing ‘shack’ as a secondary dwelling due to the rules governing the new ‘aerotropolis’
due to aircraft noise, even though it is surrounded by allotment of less that 1000m² that have
secondary dwelling approvals. That is to say, aircraft noise from a yet to published flight paths have
not been made public, but the council knows. Ahhhh, of course. Not that any current mapping exist
but let not the fact spoil a good deception.

So, the ‘granny flat’ went the way the of dinosaurs.

So, by now, things are going swingingly (I can’t spell drowning).

At the cusp of the ¾ planetary obit since the lodgement of the DA, council (Yes, the turds at that call
themselves development control offices at council), realise the site (a diminutive 11.3ha) is captured
by the Biodiversity Constipation Acts’ dreaded purple monster zone (Even though that there are no
fu***ng trees there – Aren’t satellites wonderful).

The story is nowhere near at an end and its conclusion is for another post…… BUT.

How, the f**k, did we get here?

Well, that’s very simple.

It all started with a fairy tale. “How can we make the world a better place?”

Easy, we’ll reform the planning process to make it easier for people (those who vote us in; aka - the
great unwashed) to get their stuff done without the continuous burden on council for DAs that are
tick boxes. Enter CDC.

That worked fine of a couple of weeks. But the pollies (and their numb-nuts public servant wankers)
just couldn’t help themselves.

It all started with Frank in 2005. What a launch pad fail that was.

But it wasn’t really Sators’ fault. Bob “the builder” Carr was pulling those strings. He had his own
muppet in Andrew Reshauge. Known to all his colleagues as Doctor Coma to all his parliamentary
mates for his enthusiasm. Ah, Bob, charged with running the state, wasn’t able to get a driver’s
license. Then came Kristina Keneally and Tony Kelly (if there was ever a Barby and Kenny, these were
that match). Then Brad had a go. He’s certainly has his recent job cut out for him, so I’ll be kind.
Then we had Aunty Pru. Well, f**k me dead if she didn’t make frumps look good in frocks. To close
off for now we have Rob Stokes and Anthony Roberts, who will struggle to be remembered for
anything (sorry, what the f**k did they do, anyway?). Oh, OK Rob (failing the first-time round)
wanted to have another go. That bring us to the s**t fight we have now. But like all good slow
cooked stews, the secret is to desperate the beauty in the octonion that is to say the good from the
gristle.

Unless you’re a rocket scientist or a Venusian with a degree from Andromeda Uni in transindental
heritage, you have little or no change in get a DA approved by cock-suck N***s that pretend
represent out best interests today.

So, my sincere apologies the f**k-tards at Wollondilly Shire, you just happened to be to standing
there (like the stunned mullets you are). If anyone else feels aggrieved and has a driving desire to
sue, no probs, I have 3, size 41 long sleeved white shirts and a wild assortment of un**es as well as a
reasonably friendly parrot; so knock yourselves out.