The DA Process

Development Applications
The Process

1	Pre lodgement meeting	An important step where your proposed development can be reviewed by a Town Planner and other Council staff to provide advice on proposals prior to submitting them to Council. A Duty Planner is available each business day from 11am to 1pm to answer general enquiries regarding the planning process, development proposals and the construction phase. The Duty Planner can be contacted on (02) 6568 2555 or in person at Councils administration centre at 44 Princess Street, Macksville between these times.
2	Lodgement	All applications must be lodged via the NSW Planning Portal which can be found here. Inclusion of all required documentation at the time of lodgement will ensure timely processing of your development application. Application requirements can be found at the following link: Application.pdf(PDF, 233KB). Quotations for development application fees can be obtained from Council’s Administration Centre.
3	Review	Once submitted on the NSW Planning Portal your development application is checked to see if all required information as outlined in the abovementioned application requirements has been provided. If not, you will receive an email from via the NSW Planning Portal outlining what additional information needs to be provided. Once all information is uploaded to the NSW Planning Portal, your application will be accepted and you will be sent an acknowledgement email and invoice for the application fees.
4	Public Notification	Your development may require public notification under Councils Community Participation Plan. If this is necessary, adjoining property owners will be notified of the proposed development. Additionally, advertising in the local print media may be required.
5	External Referrals	Your application may need to be referred to external agencies such as NSW Rural Fire Service, Transport for NSW and Essential Energy before the application can be determined by Council. These referrals may require an additional application fee and may add additional time to the assessment period.
6	Site inspection	The site will be inspected by officers involved in the assessment.
7	Assessment by Planning Staff	The application will be assessed having regard to the requirements of the Environmental Planning & Assessment Act 1979, most notably sections 4.14 and 4.15.
8	Further Information Required	Following assessment of the application it may be necessary for further information to be sought from the applicant. Any request for additional information will be made through the NSW Planning Portal.
9	Determination	The application is either: Approved with conditions or refused by a Council officer under the delegation of Council, or Referred to a Council meeting where the Councillors determine the application. If the application goes to a Council meeting, the applicant and anyone who makes a submission about the application are contacted prior to the meeting and given the opportunity to attend. It may be possible to address the meeting about the proposal.
10	Determination Notified	The determination of the application and stamped documents are sent to the applicant via the NSW Planning Portal and notified to anyone who made a submission. The expected timeframe for the determination of a development application from its lodgement with Council is 40 days.
11	Construction Certificate	Prior to any construction commencing, you will need to obtain a Construction Certificate. If you are planning to use Council as your Certifier, your Construction Certificate application can be lodged at the same time as your Development Application. This may mean that your Construction Certificate could be issued at the same time as your Development Consent. All Construction Certificates must be lodged on the NSW Planning Portal.
12	During Works	There are mandatory building and plumbing inspections which must be carried out by a Certifier during the construction of a building. Please check with your Certifier when an inspection is needed.
13	Occupation Certificate	When all construction is finished, your Certifier will carry out a final inspection. If they agree that all works are complete, an Occupation Certificate will be issued and the development can be used. You are not permitted to use or occupy a development until an Occupation Certificate is issued. Your Occupation Certificate application, which includes a request for a final inspection, must be lodged on the NSW Planning Portal.