INTRODUCTION

TO SURVEYING A2
Due Diligence Report

Student ID: U3202136

Blake Hourn

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Table of Contents
Project Details ..................................................................................................... 2
1. Environment ............................................................................................ 3
2. Finance .................................................................................................... 4
3. Weather Conditions .................................................................................. 4
4. Area Growth ............................................................................................ 6
5. Location................................................................................................... 7
6. Surveyors Comment .................................................................................. 8
References .......................................................................................................... 9

Project Details: Proposed new residence

Project Location: 5 McCardell Street, Taylor, Block 14 Section 11 Taylor
Owner: Adnan Hossain & Ashika Basher
Builder: Dream Design Building Pty Ltd, ABN: 59167817030
License No.: 2014495

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1. Environment
The boundary for block 14 section 11, Taylor have been surveyed and marked out by both survey pegs.
The rough dimensions of the block are 30m x
14m as illustrated by the arrow in the adjacent
map (DreamDesignBuilding, 2019). The kit
home that has been selected by the client
cannot be changed to a significant degree. The
shape and design (subject to no complaints by
Picture: Nail Harcourts. 2019.
neighbors) is set as because it is a kit home. This https://naiharcourts.com.au/Property/778050/NBN3297/9-
McCardell-Street [Accessed 24/04/2019]
means that the shape and colour of the home
or any exterior fixtures is predetermined by the building company dream kit home design.

The kit home is very well designed in terms of solar passive design (DreamDesignBuilding, 2018). The
home uses the sun to heat and light most of the space through the use of large windows and sliding
glass doors (DreamDesignBuilding, 2019). Due to this house being developed in a new suburb there is
currently no way to ascertain if the neighboring houses will impact on the proposed solar capability.

Water sensitive urban design principles have been incorporated into the design, ensuring a sustainable
approach to the management of the total water cycle with the urban environment.

The electricity will be connected to each block through the onsite meter boxes. These lines run
underground to avoid any aesthetic decline due to visible powerlines connecting the houses in the
suburb.

There will be water run-offs on the streets however they connect to the sewerage system in order to
minimize the chances of floods and potential water damage. Each site is connected to sewage lines for
brown and grey waste water management. As this is a new suburb, all the necessary drainage and
gutters have been put in in order to meet planning and council specifications that reduce the risk of
floods and water damage.

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After assessment of the proposed development under the provisions of the Environment Protection
and Biodiversity Act 1999, 21 hectares of Box Gum Woodland were removed from the development
but remain protected in the hills, ridges and buffer zones. Mature trees have been retained where
possible and supplemented with additional planting.

2. Finance

The estimated total cost of the building the selected kit home is $728,494.382. This estimated cost
includes trade and material costs ($662,267.62) plus the 10% GST ($66,226.762)
(CommonwealthInsurance, 2019). These prices are estimates based on past projects. The price is not
set and can vary with the trades and materials that the builder uses.

Once the building is completed the client requires insurance to protect the finished product. The
client can also decide to go with a work insurance if they build the kit house themselves. This type of
insurance covers workplace injuries, materials damage or loss and other things such as extended
build time.

The land pricing starts from $345,000 and the block sizes range from 339m2 to 938m2. When purchasing
land there must be enough funds to build. It is ideal to have additional funding just in case the build
takes longer than expected or things change and cost more than first estimated. Therefore, while the
total estimated cost (including trades, material, land and GST) is $1,073,494.38 this quote is not 100%
accurate and should not be relied on as a sole quote.

3. Weather Conditions
The weather conditions are generally mild temperate with seasonal data provided below.
Summer (December – February)
During summer in Canberra, the average temperatures range from 12.6°C to 27°C (or 54.7 -
80.6°Farhenheit), with little humidity and pleasant nights. January is the hottest month of the year
where temperatures rise to 13.2°C to 28°C (55.7 - 82.4°F). It is during these months of the year that
visitors can make the most of Canberra's immense outdoor spaces.

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Autumn (March – May)

In autumn temperatures drop overnight to an average of 6.8 - 20°C (44.2 - 68°F) with mild days and
cool nights.
Winter (June – August)
Winter in Canberra changes completely and becomes extremely cold with average temperatures
between 1 - 12°C (33.8 - 53.6°F), dropping below 0°C at night.
Spring (September – November)
During spring there are fresh mornings and brisk nights with average temperatures ranging between
6 - 19°C (42.8 - 66.2°F). In Canberra, November is the wettest month of the year (64.5 mm / 2.5").
However, the city receives relatively low rainfall compared to the rest of the country.
(HolidayWeather, 2018)

Rain Fall Levels

The rain fall levels are tabulated below.

Holiday Weather.2019 https://www.holiday-weather.com/canberra/averages/ [accessed

19/04/2019]

The area can experience some hail or rain damage. For example, 12,000 insurance claims were lodged
following hailstorms in 2018 totaling $31 million in damages (ABCNews, 2017). While, this is relatively
minor, however it should be considered in terms of building design, time and insurance.

Humidity
The relative humidity in Canberra is 47.8% and average monthly relative humidity ranges from 35% in
January to 64% in June (BureauofMeteorology, 2018).

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Flood risk
Canberra's last two 100-year floods were the deadly floods in Woden in 1971 and the more recent
flooding of Sullivan's Creek which mainly affected Lyneham and O'Connor (Canberratimes, 2018).
Climate change is likely to bring more 100-year flood events to Canberra. In a brand-new suburb this
should not be considered a major risk as site and urban planning in place to prevent flood damage. The
flood areas are illustrated below:

Fire
Traditionally, the bushfire season commences on 1 October and runs through until 31 March, unless
conditions warrant a variation (ACTEmergancyServices, 2019). The fire risk to the site is low.

4. Area Growth
There is a significant level of potential area growth in Taylor. The planned community facilities include
a primary school, two sporting fields and local shops. Taylor is adjacent to Horse Park Drive between
Casey, Moncrieff and Jacka which all have urban facilities. The community is located just 4km from the
Gungahlin Town Centre which has major supermarkets, shopping outlets, medical facilities, cafes and
restaurants.

Taylor is being opened in separate stages with most of the land already released. The ACT
Government’s Indicative Residential Land Release Program identified the following land releases in
Taylor (ABCNews, 2017):

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 500 dwelling sites in 2018/19

 800 dwelling sites in 2019/20
 400 dwellings sites in 2020/21
The fact that this suburb is being released in increments ensures that the current land owners do not
feel like they are on a construction site for long periods as contained and phased. It also provides the
wider public a look at what the future estate looks like, ideal for those thinking of purchasing on the
later release dates. The government’s land release program also allows first buyers time to settle in
before allowing other lots to be sold.

5. Location
Taylor is a ‘Greenfields’ residential development
located in North Gungahlin, adjacent to Horse Park
Drive between Casey, Moncrieff and Jacka as
illustrated in the adjacent picture. Taylor is located
approximately 4kms from Gungahlin Town Centre
(ActGovernment, 2019). A traffic study prepared
for the suburb shows that the road network can
accommodate the projected traffic in and around Picture: Act Government.2019 suburban land
https://suburbanland.act.gov.au/taylor/overview
the suburb. There is also a new light rail recently [Accessed 20/04/2019

completed between Gungahlin and Civic.

As Taylor is a very new suburb there should be very few if any residences around the site while
construction is underway. This means that truck and trades should have unlimited access to the
property. This supports timely, efficient and safe completion of the build.

Taylor is a newly developed suburb and will be under construction for years to come. This means that
there will be noise, dust and rubbish near and around the housing sites. This will occur in phases aligned
to each land release.

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6. Surveyors Comment
A review of the site location (5 McCardell Street, Taylor, Block 14, section 11) provides an overview of
how civil engineers have laid out the roads and pathways. Taylor is located approximately 4kms from
Gungahlin Town Centre. Due to this positive location, the value of the properties will increase,
enhanced by its proximity to schools and shops. The new light rail service will also add to the value of
this location. The levels of risk of fire or flood damage are very low due to the climate, location and
planning. The highest temperature for the area is around 29 degrees which is mild and temperate for
building and living. There has also been very little hail or rain fall damage.

The negative aspect of this location is the fact that there will be a vast number of properties being built
next to or around the house. This could cause noise issues and rubbish around property. This issue is a
very short-term problem and given time should resolve itself.

In conclusion, for Adnan Hossain and Ashika Basher, it is an excellent location to develop and build
from a surveying perspective. If the house can be completed for under $1.1 million, the value will
increase significantly over time.

Picture: University Canberra. 2019

file:///C:/Users/blake/Downloads/Case%20Study%20Due%20Dilig
ence-1%20(2).pdf [Accessed 24/04/2019]

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References

Websites:
ABC News. 2017. available: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-02-19/insurance-already-flooded-with-
sydney-storm-claims-from-hail/8284246 [accessed 20/04 2019].
ACT Emergency Services. 2019. bushfires [online]. available: http://esa.act.gov.au/community-
information/bushfires/ [accessed 15/04 2019].
ACT Government. 2019. suburban land [online]. available: https://suburbanland.act.gov.au/taylor/taylor-faqs
[accessed 20/04 2019].
Bureau of Meteorology. 2018. severe storms [online]. available:
http://www.bom.gov.au/australia/stormarchive/storm.php?stormtype=hail [accessed 15/04 2019].
Canberra Times. 2018. flood map [online]. available: https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/5998521/new-
flood-map-identifies-canberras-most-at-risk-suburbs/ [accessed 20/04 2019].
Commonwealth Insurance. 2019. available: https://www.commbank.com.au/insurance/home.html [accessed
04/20 2019].
Dream Design Building. 2018. available: https://www.dreamdesignbuilding.com.au/ [accessed 20/04 2019].
Dream Design Building. 2019. available: file:///c:/users/blake/downloads/case%20study%20due%20diligence-
1%20(2).pdf [accessed 20/04 2019].
Holiday Weather. 2018. available: https://www.holiday-weather.com/canberra/averages/ [accessed 15/04
2019]

Pictures:
Act Government. 2019. suburban land https://suburbanland.act.gov.au/taylor/overview [Accessed 20/04/2019
Holiday Weather.2019 https://www.holiday-weather.com/canberra/averages/ [accessed 19/04/2019]
Nail Harcourts. 2019. https://naiharcourts.com.au/Property/778050/NBN3297/9-McCardell-Street [Accessed
24/04/2019]
Canberra times. 2017. https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/5998521/new-flood-map-identifies-
canberras-most-at-risk-suburbs/ [Accessed 24/04/2019]
University Canberra. 2019 file:///C:/Users/blake/Downloads/Case%20Study%20Due%20Diligence-1%20(2).pdf
[Accessed 24/04/2019]

U3202136@uni.canberra.edu.au