Decking in Connolly
Northern Decking Co builds hardwood, composite and raised decks in Connolly, the late 1980s golf course estate in the City of Joondalup. Homes bordering the course are large and the decks match them, often raised and screened to suit the City's rules. Connolly is inland, so hardware is specified for the spot. The contractor quotes free after a site visit.
- Postcode
- 6027
- Council
- City of Joondalup
- Coastal lot rules
- Not usually
- Last reviewed
- October 2026
Decks that suit Connolly homes
Connolly was built in the late 1980s as a golf course estate, laid out around the Joondalup Resort course with the freeway along its eastern edge. The homes that border the fairways are generally the larger ones, and the suburb was designed for people who wanted space and a green outlook. Nearly forty years on, the housing is established and the decks that came with it are mostly at the end of their first life. Decking in Connolly is about matching that scale of home and that outlook.
Entertaining decks for larger homes
A big late 1980s house with a formal living room and a family room needs an outdoor area of the same size, and a deck is how most Connolly owners get it. These are wide decks, often wrapping two sides of the house, with board runs set out so no joins show, a picture-frame border and steps built as part of the deck rather than bolted on later. Hardwood suits them: merbau or spotted gum, pre-drilled and screwed, oiled when the colour fades, gives the finished look that paving and concrete never will. Our timber decking page explains the species and how they are fixed.
Raised decks toward the course
Lots that back onto the fairways often fall away from the house, so a deck level with the living room ends up well above the lawn at its far edge. In the City of Joondalup, development (planning) approval is not required for decking 500 mm or less above natural ground level, and decking over 500 mm can avoid planning approval if it meets the R-Code setbacks for the lot’s density. The contractor measures the fall and designs the height, the balustrade where the drop is 1 m or more, and the setbacks together, so the approval question is answered before the quote.
Screens and the neighbours
The City also requires a privacy screen at least 1.6 m high on a deck within 7.5 m of a side or rear boundary. On a Connolly lot that usually means screening the side that faces a neighbour and keeping the side toward the course as open as the rules allow, with the screen built in the same timber as the deck so it reads as part of the design.
Replacing the original
Many Connolly decks went in with the house around 1990 and show it: grey boards, proud nail heads, a bounce in the middle. The frame is often still sound because the sand drains, and the job is a re-board in new hardwood with stainless screws. Where the frame has gone the contractor says so and quotes a new one. Connolly is inland, so the salt-air detailing of the coastal suburbs is not the default here, but stainless fixings remain the better choice on a deck meant to last.
What to know before you build in Connolly
City of Joondalup
- Building permit requirements depend on the deck. Confirm with the City of Joondalup on 9400 4000 before work starts.
- For a single house or grouped dwelling, development (planning) approval is not required for decking 500 mm or less above natural ground level.
- Decking over 500 mm can avoid planning approval if it meets the R-Code setbacks for the lot's density.
- A deck within 7.5 m of a side or rear boundary needs a privacy screen at least 1.6 m high.
The ground
Coastal sand, as across most of the corridor. There is no suburb-specific ground record for Connolly, and the first footing hole confirms what the contractor expects.
Bushfire map
Check your lot on the DFES Map of Bush Fire Prone Areas. If it is inside a mapped area the deck is built to the BAL requirements of AS 3959. We do not say here whether Connolly is or is not bushfire prone, because the map runs through suburbs and is revised.
How it goes in
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Footings
Stumps go into footings in the sand. Some sites in the far north hit limestone close to the surface and need core drilling.
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Joists
Joists go across the bearers at the centres the board maker specifies, typically 450 mm for hardwood and tighter for composite.
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Boards
Boards are laid from the house out with an even gap, fixed with screws or hidden clips.
Questions from Connolly
Does a deck facing the golf course need a privacy screen in Connolly?
The City of Joondalup rule is that a deck within 7.5 m of a side or rear boundary needs a privacy screen at least 1.6 m high. The rule does not say what sits on the other side of the boundary, so the contractor designs to it and confirms the detail with the City on 9400 4000 before the deck is built.
Do I need planning approval for a deck in Connolly?
For a single house or grouped dwelling in the City of Joondalup, development (planning) approval is not required for decking 500 mm or less above natural ground level. Decking over 500 mm can avoid planning approval if it meets the R-Code setbacks for the lot's density. Building permit requirements depend on the deck. Confirm with the City of Joondalup on 9400 4000 before work starts.
Is hardwood a good choice for a Connolly deck?
Yes. Connolly is inland, and merbau or spotted gum oiled when the colour goes flat gives the warm, finished look that suits the larger homes here. Hot-dipped galvanised fixings are the minimum, and stainless is still the better choice on a deck that will be hosed and walked on for decades.
Can I replace the original late 1980s deck on my Connolly home?
Usually. The contractor checks the bearers and joists first. If the frame is sound the deck is re-boarded in hardwood or composite. If it has rot or termite damage the frame is replaced, because new boards on a tired frame do not last.
Nearby areas we cover
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