Across Cronulla, Miranda, Gymea and Sutherland itself, a large share of the older housing stock is single-storey fibro cottages built in the 1950s and 1960s. This piece explains what that means for a British buyer weighing up renovation against a full knockdown-rebuild, and why asbestos sits at the centre of the decision.
What a fibro cottage actually is
“Fibro” is the Australian name for fibre cement sheeting. Before the mid-1980s, most of it contained asbestos, and it was used for external cladding, eaves linings, wet-area walls and sometimes internal ceilings. Post-war Sydney was built quickly and cheaply, and the Shire was one of the places where young families bought a quarter-acre block with a modest fibro house on it.
These houses have very little in common with a British brick semi. They usually sit on brick or timber piers with a timber subfloor, have a timber frame, and were often extended in stages over the decades with whatever material was to hand. In good condition, bonded fibro is considered low risk while left alone; the trouble starts when you want to cut, drill, sand or remove it, which is exactly what renovation involves.
The land underneath is usually the real asset. Blocks in the Shire are often generous by Sydney standards, and many buyers are effectively paying for the site and treating the house as temporary.
Asbestos: testing first, then licensed removal
Do not assume a fibro house is entirely asbestos, and do not assume a later extension is free of it. A licensed asbestos assessor or occupational hygienist can take samples and produce a register or survey showing where the material is and what type it is. A pre-purchase building inspection may flag suspected asbestos, but that is not the same as a proper survey.
In New South Wales, removal is regulated by SafeWork NSW. Friable asbestos (the crumbly kind, sometimes found in old pipe lagging or vinyl backing) must be removed by a Class A licensed removalist. Bonded material such as fibro sheeting requires a Class A or Class B licence once you go beyond a small quantity, and the rules for homeowners doing tiny amounts themselves are strict and easy to get wrong. In practice, for a whole house, a licensed contractor is the only sensible route, and a clearance certificate should follow the removal.
Disposal goes only to facilities licensed to take asbestos waste. Dumping is treated very seriously, and councils and the state environment regulator do prosecute.
Renovate or knock down?
The calculation is different from the UK, where you rarely knock down a sound house. Here, a fibro cottage that needs new cladding, new wet areas, rewiring, restumping and insulation can cost a substantial fraction of a new build while still leaving you with an old layout and low ceilings. That is why knockdown-rebuild is so common in the Shire.
Renovation can still make sense when the frame and subfloor are sound, when you like the scale of the house, or when a heritage or character listing limits what you can do. Some owners strip and replace the external fibro, reclad in weatherboard or fibre cement, and keep the bones. Others add a second storey, though an old timber frame on piers is not always able to take one without major structural work.
A knockdown-rebuild gives you a modern energy-efficient design, current bushfire or coastal construction standards if they apply, and a known cost. It also brings demolition, a period of renting elsewhere, and the full weight of approvals.
The approval pathway, step by step
Most knockdown-rebuild projects in NSW follow roughly this order, though details depend on the block and the council’s controls:
- Check the planning controls on the NSW Planning Portal and Sutherland Shire Council’s local plan, including any bushfire, flood, coastal, heritage or tree overlays.
- Get the asbestos survey and a site survey done early, as both feed into design and demolition planning.
- Decide on the pathway: a complying development certificate from a private certifier where the project fits the state codes, or a development application to council where it does not.
- Arrange disconnection of electricity, gas, water and sewer with the relevant utilities before demolition begins.
- Engage a licensed demolition contractor, who will coordinate asbestos removal, site fencing, dust control and waste.
- Only then does the builder start on site, under the approved plans and with inspections at the required stages.
Demolition and construction approvals are often lodged together. Trees can catch people out: the Shire has a significant tree canopy, and removing a large tree may need separate permission even when the house is coming down. Because the work combines hazardous materials with tight suburban sites, it is worth reading a local firm’s guidance on demolition in the Sutherland Shire before you commit to a design, as they will know how the council and certifiers in the area tend to handle these jobs.
Practical points for British buyers
Build the asbestos survey into your due diligence before exchange if you can, since removal costs vary with the amount and type found. Ask for any previous approvals and certificates from the vendor, particularly for extensions. Budget for temporary accommodation, as a full rebuild in Sydney commonly runs well past a year from purchase to moving in.
Finally, verify the licences of everyone involved. Builders, demolition contractors and asbestos removalists are licensed separately in NSW, and those details can be checked with the state regulators.
Questions readers ask
Is it safe to live in a fibro house before we rebuild?
Bonded fibro in good, undisturbed condition is generally regarded as low risk. The danger comes from breaking, drilling, sanding or water-blasting it, so leave it alone until it is removed properly.
Can I remove a few sheets of fibro myself?
The NSW rules allow very limited homeowner work under strict conditions, but they are easy to breach and disposal is tightly controlled. For anything more than a minor repair, use a licensed removalist.
Does every knockdown-rebuild need a development application?
No. Many straightforward projects qualify for a complying development certificate from a private certifier. Overlays such as heritage, flood or bushfire can push a project into the full council application process, so check the controls for your block.