The Awabakal

Honouring Awabakal Country

This design is named to honour the Awabakal people, the Traditional Custodians of the land now known as Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, and the lower Hunter Valley. The name Awabakal means "the people of the flat or plain". For tens of thousands of years, Awabakal people have been the custodians of this Country — its coastlines, lakes, forests, and wetlands — and continue to maintain deep cultural and spiritual connections to this land today.

Koori Constructions acknowledges the Awabakal people as the first builders and caretakers of this land. We are honoured to work on Awabakal Country, and we commit to building with the same respect for place, connection to community, and long-term care that has sustained this Country for millennia.

Director Brad Robinson is a proud Dunghutti and Wiradjuri man, raised on Darkinjung Country.

Design Overview

The Awabakal is a spacious, versatile 2-bedroom + study granny flat designed for families who need room to work from home, host extended family, or accommodate adult children or elderly parents with dignity and independence. At 70m², it offers genuine separation between living and sleeping zones, plus a dedicated study/home office — perfect for remote workers or households managing care responsibilities.

This design is ideal for:

• Multi-generational living: elderly parents with their own space while staying close to family
• Adult children returning home who need privacy and workspace
• Rental income to offset mortgage costs (estimated $450–$550/week on the Central Coast and Lake Macquarie)
• Home office + guest accommodation for visiting family or carers
• NDIS participants requiring accessible, separate living quarters

Floorplan & Inclusions

Layout (70m² internal)

• 2 bedrooms: Master (3.6m × 3.2m) with built-in wardrobe + Bedroom 2 (3.0m × 3.0m) with built-in wardrobe
• Study/home office (2.4m × 2.0m) — can convert to storage or nursery
• Open-plan living/kitchen/dining (6.0m × 4.5m) with island bench option
• Full bathroom (2.7m × 2.4m) with shower, vanity, toilet, bath (or larger shower recess)
• Internal laundry (separate room, 2.0m × 1.5m, or stacked washer/dryer)
• Outdoor deck (3.0m × 2.4m) with roof cover

Standard Inclusions

• Structure: Steel frame or timber frame (site-dependent), Colorbond roof, fibre cement or vinyl cladding
• Kitchen: 3.6m laminate benchtop with island or breakfast bar, soft-close cabinetry, stainless steel sink, tiled splashback, allowance for freestanding oven/cooktop + dishwasher space
• Bathroom: Full-height tiling to shower (or bath), floor-to-ceiling tiles behind vanity, semi-frameless shower screen, chrome tapware, wall-hung vanity, mirror with shaver socket
• Flooring: Hybrid vinyl plank throughout (timber-look, 6mm waterproof SPC core)
• Windows: Powder-coated aluminium sliding windows with keyed locks and flyscreens
• Doors: 2040mm hollow-core internal doors with lever handles, solid external door with deadlock
• Electrical: LED downlights, power points (double in all rooms), data points in study + living, exhaust fans (bathroom + kitchen), smoke alarms, circuit breaker, separate meter (off main supply)
• Plumbing: Instantaneous gas hot water system or electric storage, connected to mains water + sewer
• Compliance: NSW complying development pathway, CDC lodgement + certifier inspection included

Optional Upgrades

• Stone benchtops (engineered stone or reconstituted) — +$4,200
• Split-system air conditioning × 2 zones (living + master bedroom, 3.5kW each) — +$4,800
• Timber-look exterior cladding (Scyon Axon or James Hardie) — +$5,500
• Freestanding bath in bathroom (freestanding acrylic) — +$2,400
• Separate electricity meter + switchboard (full isolation) — +$2,200
• Landscaping + paving around deck — quoted separately
• NDIS accessibility modifications (hobless shower, grab rails, wider doorways) — quoted on request

Pricing & What's Included

Base price: $210,000 (turnkey, assuming standard site conditions)

This is a fixed-price quote based on the following site conditions:

• Level site (max 1:20 slope) within 20m of existing services (water, sewer, power)
• Clear vehicle access for delivery trucks + excavator
• No bushfire-attack-level (BAL) requirements (or BAL-LOW only)
• Lot size 450m² or greater (complying development minimum)
• No contaminated soil, rock, or groundwater issues

Price Includes

• Site survey + setback verification
• Complying Development Certificate (CDC) lodgement + certifier fees
• Base slab (engineered concrete, N-class footing, rebar mesh, termite barrier)
• All structural framing, roofing, cladding, windows, doors
• Full internal fit-out (kitchen, bathroom, laundry, flooring, painting)
• Electrical + plumbing connection to mains (within 20m)
• Final inspection + Occupation Certificate
• 12-month defects warranty + statutory warranties under Home Building Act 1989

Price Does NOT Include

• Site clearing, tree removal, demolition of existing structures
• Rock excavation or contaminated soil remediation (quoted if required)
• Retaining walls, major drainage works, or stormwater connection beyond standard
• Services beyond 20m from connection point (quoted at $180/m)
• Bushfire-Attack-Level (BAL) upgrades if required (BAL-12.5: +$6,000; BAL-19: +$10,500; BAL-29+: quoted)
• Landscaping, driveways, or fencing (quoted separately)
• Council contributions, Section 68 approvals, or non-standard easement approvals

Build Timeline

14–16 weeks from CDC approval to handover (weather permitting).

CDC approval time: 4–6 weeks (runs parallel to mobilisation + initial site prep).

Council Approval Pathway

The Awabakal qualifies for complying development under State Environmental Planning Policy (Exempt and Complying Development Codes) 2008, meaning:

• No DA required — faster approval, lower cost
• 4–6 week approval via private certifier (vs 12–16 weeks for DA)
• Approval cost: $4,200–$5,500 (included in fixed price above)

Complying Development Requirements (Central Coast, Lake Macquarie, Newcastle, Cessnock councils)

• Minimum lot size: 450m²
• Maximum GFA: 60m² (The Awabakal requires DA pathway as it exceeds 60m² — we handle this for you, typical approval 12–14 weeks)
• Setbacks: 900mm side/rear (or 3m if within 9m of existing dwelling)
• Height: 8.5m max ridge height (The Awabakal is 3.8m — compliant)
• No BAL-FZ (Flame Zone) sites — BAL-40 is the limit

Note: At 70m², The Awabakal exceeds the 60m² complying development limit and requires a Development Application (DA). We manage the DA process for you — typical approval time is 12–14 weeks, cost included in the fixed price above. We'll confirm your site's suitability during the free site assessment.

Next Steps

1. Free site assessment — We visit your property, measure setbacks, check services, confirm DA pathway eligibility (1 hour on-site).
2. Fixed-price quote — Within 3 business days, you receive a formal quote with line-item costings, timeline, and inclusions schedule.
3. Contract + DA lodgement — Sign HIA Granny Flat contract, pay 5% deposit, we lodge DA (12–14 week approval).
4. Build — 14–16 weeks from DA approval to handover.

Book Free Site Assessment