Assessment of Development Applications

What happens after you lodge your Development Application?

  • The Development Application (DA) may be publicly exhibited and/or notified to neighbouring property owners.
  • The DA may be referred to various sections of Council, government agencies and/or subcommittees for comment or approval.
  • The DA is allocated to a Development Officer within our Development Services Section for assessment.

How is a Development Application assessed?

We assess all DAs on their individual merits having regard to the 'matters for consideration' listed under Section 4.15 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979. Some of the matters that we must consider when assessing a DA include:

  • The provisions of any relevant Environmental Planning Instrument or Development Control Plan;
  • The environmental, social and economic impacts of the development;
  • The suitability of the site for the development;
  • Any submissions received;
  • The public interest.

How long does it take for a Development Application to be assessed?

The time taken for us to assess your development application depends on a number of circumstances, including the following:

  • Whether the DA was publicly exhibited;
  • Whether there were any objections to the DA;
  • Whether all the necessary information has been submitted;
  • Whether your DA is compliant with applicable planning legislation and policies;
  • Whether government agencies have any comments, concerns or need to provide approval;
  • The complexity of the DA, i.e. the scale of the proposal and the amount of legislation/policy relating to the DA;
  • Whether the DA is determined under delegated authority by Council staff, the Local Planning Panel Planning Panel or the Sydney Western City Planning Panel.
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