Frequently Asked Questions
GENERAL
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF GETTING COUNCIL APPROVAL?
There are many benefits to obtaining council approval for development works including:
- Peace of mind with knowing that your building is approved
- A favourable sale price of your property if & when you wish to place your property on the market
- Avoidance of fines and/or demolition orders from Council
- Overall ideal development outcome from envrionmental sustainability perspective
- Development that is in accordance with the Council’s Planning and development rules
I'M NOT SURE WHAT TYPE OF APPROVAL I NEED, CAN YOU HELP?
Absolutely. At Local Approvals, we are able to identify the appropriate pathway for approval through our Preliminary Planning Assessment (PPA) Report. The outcome of the PPA will outline the scope of your project and will identify the most effective pathway for obtaining development approval.
WHEN DO I NEED THE SERVICES OF A TOWN PLANNER?
Town planners work with different construction professionals including structural engineers, project managers and architects. It is the responsibility of the town planner to foresee, predict and communicate needs, while understanding the economic demands. They will also offer insights on how to improve the quality of life in the community.
To make this happen, property owners and investors should work with town planners before submitting the project for council approval. After the selection of the builder and the preparation of contracts, it is important to focus on construction supervision and certification,
and this includes town planning services. This step ensures that the best practices in sustainable construction are achieved, and your property becomes an integral part of a sustainable community that reflects a responsible balance of modernity, convenience and respect for the environment.
WHAT PERCENTAGE OF YOUR APPLICATIONS GET APPROVED?
Whilst we cannot promise approvals, at Local Approvals we take pride in our near 100% approval rate. During our PPA, if we encounter a potential insurmountable roadblock in obtaining approval for your project, we will make you aware of it early in the project and will cease to carry out the project.
CAN I GET AN UNAPPROVED BUILDING APPROVED WITHOUT HAVING TO DEMOLISH IT?
So you have just purchased your dream home and realised that the rear shed garage are unapproved structures. Your local Council then sends you a Notice of intention to issue an order or a Penalty Infringement Notice (PIN).
It is vital of respond to such notices promptly. At Local Approvals, we ensure that in the event that you’ve received a Notice for construction works, prompt contact with the issuing authority is made and if compliant, that an official Development application and Building Information Certificate are lodgement for approval of the existing works.
DOES LOCAL APPROVALS DO SITE VISITS?
During the preparation of the application, a member of our team will be required to carry out a site visit.
HOW LONG & HOW MUCH?
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO PREPARE THE PAPERWORK FOR MY APPROVAL?
Drafting: 1 to 4 weeks for first set of plans depending on the complexity of the project (assuming that a survey or a site plan is available)
Confirmation of CDC compliance: 2 – 10 days depending on how quickly we can obtain the necessary documentation from council for assessment of the property, and once plans are completed
Water board approval: usually 1 – 5 days unless it is sewer affected
Miscellaneous reports such as flood and bushfire: usually 5 – 21 days depending on the type of report
Survey: between 10 – 28 days depending on location and availability of surveyors
Development Application: preparation and submission to council – usually within 10 days of receipt of all required documentation
Construction Certificate: usually within 2 – 7 days of receiving all the required documentation on the DA consent letter
Building Certificate: This is harder to estimate as it various from project to project and from council to council. Once we have all the paperwork for the submission ready we aim to have it in to council within 10 days
AFTER PAPERWORK IS SUBMITTED, HOW LONG DOES APPROVAL TAKE?
Complying Development Certificate (CDC) the industry standard for this is 10 days from the time that the certifier obtains all the documentation. We aim to improve on this and generally have our approvals issued within 2 – 7 days from time of receipt of all documentation.
HOW MUCH DOES APPROVAL COST?
The cost of approval will depend on a number of variations, including the scope of the project, the relevant council lodgement fees and complexity of the proposal.
CDC, DA & PPA
CAN I APPLY FOR A CDC ON MY PROPERTY?
Due to the nature of complying development, as the name suggests, the proposal must comply fully with the state governments complying development codes. In some circumstances a property may not qualify for complying development due to its location or proximity to bushfire prone land or heritage items for example.
In the event that the property qualifies for CDC, the proposed works would also be required to be designed such that it complies with a number of mandatory development standards such as setbacks, building height, and floor area for it to qualify as Complying development.
WHAT IS A COMPLYING DEVELOPMENT CERTIFICATE (CDC)?
Complying development or CDC is a fast-track approval pathway generally considered to be straightforward residential, commercial and industrial development. A CDC generally includes larger building works than what is allowable under the state government’s exempt development policy provisions. Provided the proposal fully meets specific development standards, it can be determined under the FastTrack approval pathway without the need for a full development application.
Examples of complying development include:
- Building a one and two storey home
- Building a granny flat or secondary dwelling
- Building a fence
- Building a swimming pool
- Demolishing a building
- Establishing a home-based enterprise
- Removing and pruning a tree
- Renovating a home
- Works to improve fire safety.
CDC VS DA - WHICH PATHWAY IS BEST FOR MY PROPOSAL?
Apply for development consent via CDC or a DA have respective pros and cons depending on the subject site as well as the proposed development works.
Simply, the advantage of a CDC includes a shorter timeframe for approval. CDCs are most commonly encouraged for straightforward proposals. With that noted however, in some instances the result of the strict nature of CDC where the development is required to comply 100% with the development standards can often lead to restricted outcomes such as a smaller dwelling.
The advantage of a DA, unlike the CDC is that the DA process allows for flexibility during the assessment of the proposal. A merit based assessment is carried out in the event that the proposal is unable to meet certain development controls. With increased amounts of DAs under assessment, the timeframe for approval is usually longer than the equivalent proposal under a CDC.
DOES LOCAL APPROVALS ALSO PROJECT MANAGE THE DA PROCESS THROUGH COUNCIL?
Yes, at Local Approvals we project manage the approvals process from start to finish to save you the time and hassle of responding to council letters and project management of the application.
OPPORTUNITIES
WHAT IS THE DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL OF MY LAND?
The development potential of your land is largely dependant on a number of elements including, its zoning, the lot size, any hidden covenants on the title of the land, as well as any natural hazards that impact the site, to name a few. At Local Approvals, we ensure that you understand the development potential of your site following the completion of a Preliminary Planning Assessment (PPA). The PPA involves a detailed analysis of your site against the relevant state government and local council development standards and controls. The conclusion of the PPA enables you to gain an in depth understanding of your sites development potential in order to make an informed decision.
Why Choose Local Approvals?
At Local Approvals, we work with Local Councils and Certifying authorities around New South Wales. We consist of ex-council Planners with years of experience, working in the same office as architects, engineers, and surveyors which means faster service for you or your business. We know what councils are looking for, which boxes to check, what format the reports should be formatted in, and how to present all this information.
When councils receive everything that they need in the format they need, the approval process can run much smoother.
