Are you set on keeping the dirt area for your puppy or are would you consider container gardening? Does the area get a lot of sun? My first thought is there is alot of brick already between the facade of the building and that two story portion shown. But the herringbone paver layout is great. If it were my home I would probably take that Trex decking and extend it over in to the dirt area at an angle and then use pots to make my garden. Really great pots that you can move around and change by adding colorful plants when the season permits and then I would invest in really nice outdoor furniture to make the space. I see you have a small teak table and with a good powerwash it can be made to look new. Then add some outdoor chairs and hang a piece of outdoor art on the brick and that would be a great start but definitely start by just getting rid of all those odd plantings. It will be a lovely retreat. Good luck.

Colorbond probably isn't any cheaper than anything else. Downlights can be installed though. What about Moisture Resistant Plasterboard, its similar to the plasterboard on walls but can handle your situation. Costs again are really any cheaper. Another option is Ecoply. The grooved pattern which looks like t&g boards is already milled into it, Which would only need painting once installed. Most of the cheaper products are fairly close in costs so the savings are marginal.

Really helpful! Thanks for sharing

two steps I see here 1. suggest you go back to council (either yourself or view builder if they are getting the permit) and question their particular interpretation of the reg 85, use the image posted previously and ask why "if a habitable room window is compliant when facing an open verandah so long as it's 1/3 open" an eave, which is 100% open and less overhang is considered to be non-compliant. If you have 1.4m offset from the boundary, and your eave is only 400mm, then arguably this window WILL be facing a light court with min 1m clearance to the sky (measured from the eave to the boundary) 2. If above is not accepted, then apply for the council "report & consent" process to vary reg 85. Best to discuss this directly with the relevant building surveyor so you can be confident it will be supported. Ask the surveyor specifically what that would likely need to see, such as do they want to see a bigger window of size Xmm x Ymm. You will likely need to submit updated drawings if the window currently drawn is on the min 10% of the floor area of the bedroom. It sounds like you may be out of your depth, and typically these report and consents involve response to Ministers Guidelines which can be tedious and you have to understand the technicalities and lingo, so perhaps it will be best to go back to whoever helped design/documented the building and get them to help you prepare the submission. It's now so close to Christmas/end of year and probably best this is handled after the flurry of the festive season has passed and people/admin/surveyors etc have some fresh energy and renewed patience.. Councils typically work on skeleton staff throughout this period so unlikely you'll get much of a difference in outcome timeframe wise whether you submit now or early new year. All it will do is be put in an admin pile and be addressed in due course Best of luck PD