Lodging a Development Application can be complicated and at a minimum you may need to employ a drafts-person or designer to prepare the plans and other documents required for your proposal.  

For more complex applications, you may need an architect or a qualified town planning consultant to assist you with the preparation of plans and your Statement of Environmental Effects. A planning consultant can also advise you on whether other professionals such as a heritage architect, traffic engineer, hydraulics engineer or surveyor may be required.  

Please note: Council is unable to recommend professionals to you but you can contact professional bodies such as the Planning Institute of Australia on (02) 9280 2121 or the Australian Institute of Architects on (02) 9356 3122 and they can provide details of appropriate planners or architects who may be able to assist you.

Contact council for information as early as possible in the design process. 
 

Duty Officers

We have Duty Planner Service available during business hours that are able to answer general questions relating to the development process. We have trained staff that will be able to tell you about the relevant development standards and design guidelines and alert you to the constraints that you will need to consider in preparing your proposal.

This service is for short enquiries and is free of charge. The Duty Officer cannot guarantee that a site is suitable for development or advise what the development potential for a site would be.
 

Pre-Lodgement Advisory Service

Council has established a formal process for pre-lodgement discussions, which allows applicants to discuss more complex development proposals with our Development Advisory Officer.  This is a more formal meeting to discuss your development at length. It occurs before you lodge your application and a written record is kept.

To make this service worthwhile, we usually need a concept plan of the proposal. We also charge a fee for the service, based on a sliding scale depending on the proposal’s estimated cost of works.
 

Need approval from other agencies?

Your proposal may need approval from other Government agencies.  Where possible, Council can help you identify relevant agencies.  However, it is your responsibility to find out which approvals are required.

Agencies from which you may need an approval include:

• NSW Office of Water
• Department of Primary Industries
• Railcorp
• Rural Fire Service
• Transport for NSW

We strongly recommend that you consult with the relevant agencies as early as possible.