Contact Us

Development Applications

Home
/
Services
/
Development Applications

Request a call from one of our professionals today

REQUEST A CALL BACK

Development Applications

SEE YOUR DEVELOPMENT COME TO LIFE

A Development Application is the process of obtaining approval for building or development work from your local council.

Typically, most building or development projects will require a Development Application in order to go ahead. This includes large-scale projects like entire new builds, demolition and rebuild, substantial changes to an existing premises, or even a change in business activities undertaken on your site.

Most substantial development types will require a Development Application from your local council. These can include:

Houses
Duplexes
Apartment buildings
Granny flats & studios
Alterations and additions to existing houses
Change of Use (Commercial)
Demolition of a building

When moving ahead with your Development Application, it’s important to identify any previous Development applications that have been obtained for your site. You should also check to what use the current site is approved for, as this will determine the type of Development Approval you’ll need to seek.

This process can take up to 6 months, so it’s crucial to get the right guidance and support as you progress. If this all sounds overwhelming, it doesn’t have to be. CIVAC is here to make it easy for you.

SPEAK TO US TODAY

HOW OUR PROCESS WORKS

1 STARTING THE PROCESS 2 COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING 3 APPLICATION LODGEMENT 4 APPLICATION APPROVED

STARTING THE PROCESS

We meet with you to determine your needs

At CIVAC, our goal is to make your Development Application as smooth and as seamless as possible.

Our specialist team will meet with you initially to discuss your project. We’ll talk through your project idea, determine what you want to achieve, flag any potential issues that we see, and determine whether a Development Application is required.

We then begin the process for lodgement, and connect you with our extended expert team to manage the application for you.

The main objective of a Development Application is to ensure your interests and the interests of the general public are taken into account, and that there are no adverse impacts to the environment and the surrounding community. As such, it’s important to gather the right documentation to support your application.

COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING

We gather the necessary documentation

The process for a Development Application requires a lot of groundwork to be done, and there is a range of supporting documents that are needed to support its lodgement.

At CIVAC, our Town Planners and Project Manager will help you prepare and gather the necessary supporting documentation to lodge your Development Application. These include:

A completed Development Application Form and Checklist
Architectural plans and specifications of your proposed development
BASIX certificate
Any hydraulic engineering plans
Preliminary Subdivision plan (if applying for subdivision as part of the consent)
Required reports, such as Arborist, Acoustic, Geotechnical, etc
A Landscape Architectural Plan (if required)
A complying Waste Management Plan (if required)
A complying Stormwater Management Plan (if required)

APPLICATION LODGEMENT

Once these plans, reports, and certificates are all prepared and collated, your Project Manager is ready to lodge your Development Approval to your local council on your behalf.

We continue to manage the entire process for you. Your Project Manager will track and monitor your application, keeping you updated as to its progress. They’re on call to answer any questions or queries regarding the information project, and can respond to council on your behalf with any additional information, if needed.

If there’s anything that requires further attention at this stage, we’ll take care of it for you.

APPLICATION APPROVED

Moving on to construction

Once this process is complete, you’ll be issued your Development Approval. This will include a set of consent conditions that your development needs to meet in order to remain compliant with local development regulations. After these are received, our in-house Town Planners and Project Manager will identify the necessary activities that satisfy these conditions.

We then prepare your Construction Certificate application. This includes:

Detailed building plans, including specifications
Structural engineering plans
BASIX certificate
Evidence of fee payment
List of compliance certification
Fire safety plans
Alternative planning solutions if your proposal doesn’t meet National Construction Code compliance

Once these are complete, we then lodge your paperwork to obtain a Construction Certificate—your new building is finally coming to life.

FAQ'S

Got questions about your Development Application? We’ve got answers.

Obtaining Development Approval can be a lengthy process.

Time frames are dependent on such factors as the complexity and scale of the development, submissions of objection from the surrounding neighbours, requests for additional information and the Council that are assessing the application.

Generally, the assessment takes a minimum of four (4) weeks.

All building works in NSW cannot commence without receiving approval from either Council or a Private Certifier.

If your project is not eligible to be approved through a Private Certifier, you will be required to lodge a Development Application to Council.

Basically, a Development Approval tells Council what type of development you are planning, how it meets planning controls and how it will affect the surrounding area.

A Development Application can comprise such documents as Architectural Plans, Stormwater Plans, Arborist, Bushfire and Acoustic Reports.

Once approval has been obtained Council will issue a set of conditions that need to be complied with to move on to the next steps of obtaining a Construction Certificate and commencing construction.

A Development Application is required to approve building works legally.

Approval is required to ensure that works comply with local and state planning controls and the Building Code of Australia safety requirements.

Without approval, works will be considered illegal which can lead to issues with Council.

A Development Approval is valid for five (5) years from the date it is granted. It is possible to apply for a one (1) year extension with Council.

A Development Application can have three possible outcomes.

Approval – this means the development has been approved and can move on to obtaining a Construction Certificate.

Deferred Commencement – A Deferred Commencement means that the development has been approved, but the approval is not operable, and the Construction Certificate conditions cannot be satisfied until Deferred Commencement conditions have been met and evidence has been provided to Council.

Refusal – A Refusal means that the Development Application has been refused by Council. Council will provide reasons for the refusal and advise on the appeals process. An application to the Land and Environment Court is also an option.

There are several cost factors that need to be considered when obtaining development approval.

These include expert consultants such as Architects, Engineers, Project Managers, arborists, and acoustic engineers.

The cost of lodging the Development Approval to Council is determined by each individual Council’s fee structure and method of determining the application fee.

Generally, you can expect fees to exceed $5000.

Talk to us about undertaking a Development Application for your project.

No matter the size, scope, or complexity of your project, our CIVAC is here to help make it a success. Ready to get started? Send us your project details in the fields below, and one of our friendly team will be in touch to discuss your next steps.