If you own or lease a shop with a street awning in Mascot, Botany, Rockdale, Brighton-Le-Sands or anywhere else in the Bayside Council area, this guide explains what council expects, when you need approval, and how to keep your awning safe and compliant. We carry out awning repairs across Sydney, and Bayside is right on our doorstep.
Which Areas Does Bayside Council Cover?
Bayside Council was formed in 2016 when the former City of Botany Bay and Rockdale City Council merged. That history matters for awnings: the two former councils had different planning rules, and older approvals for your awning may sit under either one. Today the council area includes suburbs such as:
- The former Botany Bay area: Mascot, Botany, Banksmeadow, Pagewood, Eastlakes, Eastgardens, Daceyville and Hillsdale.
- The former Rockdale area: Rockdale, Arncliffe, Wolli Creek, Banksia, Bexley, Brighton-Le-Sands, Kyeemagh, Ramsgate and parts of Kogarah and Sans Souci.
Main shopping strips with street awnings include Botany Road in Mascot, Banksia Street in Botany, the Princes Highway in Rockdale, Forest Road in Bexley and Bay Street in Brighton-Le-Sands. If your shop is just over the boundary, check our City of Sydney or Randwick Council guides instead.
Who Is Responsible for a Street Awning?
Even though a street awning hangs over a council footpath, the building owner is responsible for keeping it safe. The NSW Government’s Planning Circular BS 13-001 makes this clear and recommends that awnings more than 10 years old are inspected by a professional engineer. Many awnings along Bayside’s older shopping strips are well past that age.
Where a shop is leased, the lease usually sets out whether the owner or tenant pays for awning work, but council will look to the owner if the awning becomes unsafe. In strata buildings, the awning is normally common property, so the owners corporation is responsible. Our strata and commercial awning guide covers this in more detail.
Do You Need Council Approval?
It depends on what you are doing:
- Like for like repairs and maintenance such as replacing rusted tie rods, fixing leaks, repairing soffit linings or repainting are generally treated as maintenance, but any work from the footpath still needs the right approvals for the work zone (see below).
- A new awning, or replacing an awning with a different design generally needs development consent or a complying development certificate. Awnings over a public footpath are usually not exempt development.
- Heritage items and conservation areas need extra care. Bayside’s Development Control Plan 2022 includes a control that original shopfronts and awnings must be retained and must not be covered by solid roller doors or security screens.
Our general guide to council approval for shop awnings explains DAs and CDCs, and our guide to awning height and footpath rules covers clearances. Because the rules change and every site is different, always confirm with Bayside Council’s planning team before starting new work.
Working Over the Footpath
Any awning work that occupies the footpath, such as scaffolding, a scissor lift, barricades or a crane, needs approval under the Roads Act 1993 from Bayside Council as the road authority. Busier roads like the Princes Highway may also involve Transport for NSW. Allow time for these approvals in your schedule, and make sure your contractor provides traffic and pedestrian management where needed.
Outdoor Dining Under Your Awning
Brighton-Le-Sands, Rockdale and Mascot all have busy café and restaurant strips. If you want tables and chairs on the footpath under your awning, Bayside Council requires a separate footway dining approval under the Roads Act, with an annual fee and an approval term of up to seven years. A sound, well maintained awning makes your outdoor dining area far more usable in summer heat and rain. Our café and restaurant awnings guide has more on getting the most from outdoor dining.
Common Awning Problems in Bayside
- Salt air corrosion near Botany Bay at Brighton-Le-Sands, Kyeemagh, Ramsgate and Sans Souci. Salt speeds up rust on tie rods, brackets and steel frames. See our guide to metal awning corrosion.
- Grime and exhaust along heavy traffic routes like Botany Road and the Princes Highway, and near the airport and port, which stains soffits and blocks gutters.
- Rusted tie rods on older suspended awnings, often hidden behind linings. Read about rusted tie rods.
- Leaks and blocked gutters that let water pond on the roof sheeting and add weight the awning was never designed for.
- Storm damage from strong southerly winds coming off the bay. Our storm season guide explains how to prepare.
- Vehicle strikes from trucks and buses on busy roads, which can bend fascias and damage hanger rods.
What If Council Sends You a Notice?
If Bayside Council inspects your awning and finds it unsafe, it can issue a notice or order requiring you to repair or remove it. Do not ignore it. Contact council, organise an engineer’s inspection and get repair quotes as early as possible. Our guides to council awning safety orders and how awning engineering certification works walk through the process step by step.
Checklist for Bayside Shop Owners
- Find out how old your awning is and whether it has ever been certified by an engineer.
- If it is over 10 years old, arrange an engineer’s inspection.
- Check the tie rods, gutters, fascia and soffit at least once a year, and after big storms.
- Keep copies of approvals, reports and certificates with your building records.
- Talk to Bayside Council before replacing or changing an awning, especially in a heritage area.
- Check your lease or strata by-laws so you know who pays for awning work.
Planning a new shopfront in Mascot, Botany or Brighton-Le-Sands? We design and build new commercial awnings and handle the council approvals.
Awning Repairs in Bayside
We are based in Rosebery, right next door to Bayside, and work on shop awnings across Mascot, Botany, Rockdale, Brighton-Le-Sands and the surrounding suburbs. From tie rod replacement and leak repairs to full restorations and engineer coordinated certification, we handle the work and the approvals. Contact us to book a free on-site inspection.