Council is required by building regulations to keep all domestic records and plans for 10 years, and all other records until the building is demolished.
Bayside City Council offers a 'Plan Search' service to activate searches dating from 1956.
A fee of $160 for residential plans and $230 for commercial plans is required, as is a completed application form (available from Council) that must include the owner’s consent, if application is made on behalf of the owner.
Depending on the age and origin of the file, it is found that an average of 80 per cent of files/plans are retrieved.
All searches take approximately three to four weeks.
To activate a search, enter your details in the Plan Search application form and mail the form to:
Bayside City Council
PO Box 27
Sandringham VIC 3191
16-Sep-2009