He communicated the matter to British colleagues via his patron at Cambridge University, Adam Sedgwick. Source ↗
● What the data says
Fennell Bay runs swimming pool / spa first, with renovation / extension (20) close behind: swimming pool / spa leads at 25 of 89 DAs on record. A Value-tier market on a $650k median, a typical job runs $95k, approvals are down 29% year on year.
Recent approvals
$22k
15 Margaret Street
Demolition · 18 Jun 2026
$18k
28 Edward Street
Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure · 3 Jun 2026
29% of approvals are new builds or demolitions, so knock-down-rebuild is a genuine slice here, not just extensions.
Big-ticket jobs
the typical $95k approval is about 15% of the $650k median home, these are substantial transformations, not cosmetic touch-ups.
Lifestyle spend
28% of approvals are pools, decks and fencing, a discretionary-spend signal for pool, landscape and fencing trades.
Major projects · biggest approvals by value
$1.5M
10 Turnbull Street
Dual occupancy · 27 May 2021
$1.2M
6 Edward Street
Multi-dwelling housing · 8 Jan 2024
$750k
89 Macquarie Road
Dual occupancy · 24 Nov 2022
$714k
22 Lake Road
Dwelling house · 9 May 2025
$706k
4 Margaret Street
Dwelling house · 15 Jan 2025
Development activity
DAs lodged
Monthly, last 24 months (real NSW ePlanning data)
89
Total on record
12
Last 12 months
$95k
Median cost
1110
What they're building
All 89 DAs by category
Swimming Pool / Spa25
Renovation / Extension20
New Dwelling18
Demolition8
Deck / Balcony / Fence5
Subdivision5
Granny Flat / Secondary4
Other3
Who lives here
0-4
5-14
15-19
20-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55-64
65-74
75-84
85+
The biggest age band here is 55-64 (249 residents). Real ABS 2021 census bands, the resident profile behind who renovates, extends and builds.
Schools nearby
Fennell Bay Public School
Primary · Fennell Bay
Fassifern Public School
Primary · Fassifern
Blackalls Park Public School
Primary · Blackalls Park
Toronto Public School
Primary · Toronto
Toronto High School
Secondary · Toronto
Five Islands School
Schools for Specific Purposes · Booragul
NSW public schools within ~3.5 km. Source: NSW Department of Education schools master dataset.
Common questions
Which council handles development applications in Fennell Bay?
Fennell Bay sits in the Lake Macquarie City Council area. DA Notice pulls every DA Lake Macquarie City Council lodges for Fennell Bay from the public NSW Planning Portal.
How many development approvals are there in Fennell Bay?
In the last 365 days, Lake Macquarie City Council lodged 12 development applications in Fennell Bay. We text you the new ones each Monday, filtered to your trade.
How do I get DA alerts for Fennell Bay?
A weekly SMS, every Monday morning, listing the new DAs in Fennell Bay that match your trade. No app. Reply STOP to cancel.
What does DA Notice cost?
$35 a month, cancel anytime by replying STOP to any text.
Get on it first
The DAs land Monday 6am. You call before the street knows.
One trade, one area, weekly. Every new Fennell Bay approval that matches your trade, texted with the address and the job. $35/month, reply STOP anytime.