The Approved Portal - a one of a kind solution to development consent.

The Approved team have been specialists in helping clients achieve the fastest and easiest approvals for their developments for years. We have assisted thousands of individual and business clients in gaining approval for their developments through local Councils and Private Certifiers.

Over the years we have found that when new clients contact us, they faced the same struggles: they didn't know what approval type to use for their project.

We also found that individuals struggled with the process of gaining that approval. In NSW, numerous approval pathways are available: from exempt development to complex integrated development approval. The process can be long, complex and fraught with planning guidelines that most individuals did not have the time or inclination to research entirely.

All these factors combined meant real life implications: rejected applications, frustration, extra time, and money spent on projects, all of which could be easily solved with a robust application strategy. Add to this the constant unknown. After lodgement, we found that individuals were not receiving enough communication on the status of their applications from the approving bodies.

Solving these problems for our clients became the Approved team's new goal, so the Approved Portal was born.

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What is the Approved Portal?

The Approved Portal is a one of a kind digital platform, allowing approval experts and Approved clients to collaborate on the fastest and easiest way to gain a development or construction approval for projects across NSW.

The Approved Portal hosts a range of digital approval services and reporting tools to assist Approved clients with tracking the approval process from start to finish, regardless of the approval pathway. It provides visibility and guidance on the application requirements for Development Application and Complying Development Certificate approvals.

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The Approved portal provides an easy way to keep track of your approval and aims to:

• improve application determination times
• increase transparency of the approval process
• ensure greater accountability of all stakeholders.

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How does Approved improve application determination times?

Approved consists of a team of planning experts that provide assessment and recommendations on your proposed development. The Approved team specialises in all approval pathways required for the majority of small to medium size residential and commercial developments: Complying Development Certificate (CDC) or Development Application (DA) and Construction certificate (CC).

Once you upload your architectural plans, our team compares your proposed development against the planning regulations attached to your local area. They then provide feedback in the form of an Approval Pathway Assessment or a Preliminary Planning Assessment. These reports clarify which approval pathway to take and what is required to get the fastest approval time possible.

The Approved Portal streamlines this process by providing a central point of information for everything regarding your approval. Once your approval pathway is determined, every step of the process is mapped out for you with everything required. At this point, you can decide if you would like to manage this process or have our team of experts manage the process for you.

How does the Approved Portal increase the transparency of the approval process and ensure greater accountability?

The Approved Portal becomes the source of truth for your project's approval pathway.

By mapping out the steps required for your approval, you can see what is necessary for your approval type at a glance. You will also have access to the reports' definitions and the status of the collection of those reports if the Approved team are coordinating or providing for you.

Once your application is lodged with Council or with a Private Certifier, you will also be able to track its approval status through the portal and respond to any Requests for Further Information if they arise.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do I register with the Approved Portal?

• Click on the button 'Get started' or 'Approved Portal', and the website will take you to the registration questionnaire.
• Fill in the details of the questionnaire and click 'Submit'.
• Shortly after, you should receive a confirmation email containing your login details for the Approved portal.
• Log in here with the provided details to start using the Approved portal.

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How do I submit documentation to Approved?

The supporting documentation can be uploaded directly to the Approved Portal or emailed to your dedicated Client Manager.

Once the approval pathway is determined, you can assign the task of obtaining the documents to yourself or the Approved team.

If you need to upload a document requested in an RFI (Request for further information) from the Approved team, click on the 'Upload' button and select the document from your device. Once the file is uploaded, the status will change to 'In review'. You will get notified if the document was accepted or receive an RFI from the Approved team instead.

If you previously assigned the document to the Approved team and no longer wish to proceed this way or would need any additional documentation not listed in RFI, don't hesitate to contact your dedicated Client Manager directly.

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I've received an RFI, what does this mean?

If your approval requires additional information, you will likely receive an RFI from the Approved team requesting specific project documentation. Sometimes, the Approved team can assign and handle the requested documentation. In some other cases, it could be information that is only available to you (for example, an amended set of architectural plans or refined description of development proposal or costs of works).  

Once the notification for RFI from the Approved team is received, please proceed to the Approved portal and provide the requested documentation or assign the task to the Approved Team as soon as possible to avoid unnecessary delays.

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I've amended the architectural plans, what should I do?

If the architectural plans were modified because of an RFI you've received from the Approved Team, you can upload the amended plans directly under the task allocated to you on the Approved Portal. Once submitted, the document status change to 'In review'.

If there has been a change of scope which has resulted in architectural plans changing, please contact your dedicated Client Manager to discuss how these changes might affect the course of the approval process.

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