Do I need building plans for paving?

Paving a driveway or patio is usually not treated as building work that needs plans, but the Act's definition of a building includes "any other structure", so the council has the final say. Coverage and stormwater by-laws can also apply. Two things more clearly need permission: a raised paved area whose edge retains soil (that edge is a retaining wall), and a driveway crossing over the municipal pavement, which needs the council's roads permission.