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

The Duty Planner Service will be available Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 1.00pm (excluding public holidays) to assist with general enquiries relating to the development process.

Duty Planners can provide general information about Council's planning processes and direct you to relevant planning controls, policies and other information available on Council or the State Government's websites.

The service is intended for general enquiries only.  Duty Planners cannot determine whether a particular development is permissible, assess the merits of a proposal, confirm whether a site is suitable for development, or provide advice specific to an individual development proposal or circumstances.

This service is free of charge and is designed to assist with short enquiries.
 

Pre-Lodgement Advisory Service

Council provides a formal Pre-Lodgement Advisory Service, which allows applicants to discuss and seek specific advice on more complex development proposal from our Development Assessment Staff.  This is a paid service and Council will provide written advice after the meeting.

Generally, Council will require a concept plan and short statement detailing the proposal and the advice sought.
 

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:

• WaterNSW.
• Rural Fire Service.
• Transport for NSW.

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