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Approval and Development Assessments
Gain certainty and know which approval pathway to take.
We help you get it right from the start.
Wading through building regulations for approval is frustrating
Approved provide several approval and development assessments to ensure the approval for your project is the most efficient pathway.
Our specialised team of approval experts, along with your dedicated Client Manager, compare your architectural plans to NSW Planning guidelines and provide an assessment.
Approved's team are experts in the two most popular approval approval options for development in NSW. The streamlined Complying Development Certificate, issued by a Registered Private Certifier and the staged Development Application and Construction Certificate processes, completed through your local Council.
Our assessments give you all the information you need to provide clarity on which approval pathway to take and how to get the best outcome for your project.
Approval Pathway Assessment
If you are unsure which development pathway is applicable to your project, we would suggest an Approval Pathway Assessment. This will identify if a Complying Development Certificate or Development Application is required for your project.
Approval Pathway Assessments combine the expertise of Certifiers and our Town Planners to provide an understanding of what will be required to obtain a fast, simple approval for your development.
Our team examine your plans against the relevant planning provisions and provide a report and advice as to what approval pathway is most likely to be the easiest for your application.
Approval Pathway Assessments are a valuable tool for ensuring that all necessary steps are taken in the approval process. They can help identify potential delays that can occur if the correct approval process is not followed, and they can provide guidance on how to avoid such delays.
By completing an Approval Pathway Assessment, you can save time and money by avoiding costly delays or re-work caused by incorrect approval processes. Additionally, these assessments can ensure that all stakeholders involved in the approval process are aware of their responsibilities, and can help streamline the process to ensure that approvals are granted in a timely manner.
Preliminary Planning Assessment
In many instances a formal Development Application through Council is either required or preferred.
Lodgement of a DA may require additional consultants to be engaged and documents prepared, but we complete our Preliminary Planning Assessment before this process.
The Preliminary Planning Assessment is an in-depth analysis of your project, completed by one of our qualified Town Planners. The report will identify your project’s permissibility, site constraints, and what is required before submitting a DA to your local Council.
This report is designed to identify any possible concerns that Council may have, allowing for amendments before lodgement which expedites the approval time.
The assessment will also outline additional requirements and costs of any consultants or supporting documentation required, along with the associated Council and Government Authority Fees.
What happens after your assessment is completed?
After completing your assessment and determining an approval pathway, we manage the approval for you.
We coordinate and lodge on your behalf, saving you time and ensuring your project gets approved the first time.
What we consider when assessing your project
Planning Guidelines
When looking at building a new development in NSW, it is important to understand the different residential zones and land zoning codes in NSW. These codes will determine which area you can build a house on and if you are allowed to have certain types of structures such as swimming pools, carports, outbuildings etc.
The Standard Instrument LEP has been in use since 2006 and aims to provide a format for local zoning. All councils in NSW currently use this plan and they work closely with the state government to make sure that all new developments are completed as per the guidelines.
The Approved team of Town Planners are experts in NSW local planning and legislation.
We can help to identify what developments are available in all regions in NSW for all zoning including
- R1 Zoning NSW – General Residential
- R2 Zoning NSW – Low-Density Residential
- R3 Zoning NSW – Medium Density Residential
- R4 Zoning NSW – High-Density Residential
- R5 Zoning NSW – Large Lot Residential
The NSW Planning Scheme is a large project which is constantly evolving.
You can always rely on the fact that the most up-to-date zoning codes and regulations will be taken into account for your proposed development at Approved.
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Complying Development Certificates vs Development Applications (Council Approvals)
A Complying Development Certificate (CDC) is a combined planning and construction approval for a development that meets pre-determined development standards under a State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP). This pathway is a fast-tracked approval that does not require a Development Application at your local council.
Many Australians opt for this to avoid the cumbersome and expensive Council Approval (DA) process. However, your project plans must meet all the conditions and requirements of the state environmental planning policies (SEPP) to have them approved. Once a CDC is found to be likely for your development it can be approved in as little as one to two weeks.
Some plans are ready to be submitted as a CDC as-is. But in some instances, it is possible to have a set of building plans that almost meet CDC guidelines and only require slight amendments to take advantage of the fast-tracked process. This is identified early with Approved using our Assessment Pathway process. Our team assess and help identify potential amendments to plans to utilise the CDC pathway instead of going through a long Council Approval Process.
Development Approvals, or Council Approvals, do require some extra planning and documentation. Councils have a strict set of guidelines to adhere to in their planning regulation and zoning. DA's can be approved in as little as a few weeks up to several months, depending on the complexity of the project and the zoning of the land.
Approved provide a holistic CDC Approval and Council Approval process, coordinating the whole process for you. While you sit back, relax and get approved. Head over to our detailed Complying Development Certificate Approval Management page to find out more.
Frequently Asked Questions
What approvals will be required before we can install a manufactured home on site?
All proposals to install a manufactured home in NSW require the lodgement of a Development Application (DA) to Council, as well as an application for a Section 68 approval. A Section 68 approval is issued by Council under the Local Government Act 1993 to assess issues such as the structural integrity and proposed sewage management of manufactured homes, other moveable dwellings, and associated structures. A Construction Certificate is not required to install a manufactured home (but may be required for associated works) following a DA approval. The Section 68 application is completed in lieu of the on-site inspections associated with a Construction Certificate that would ordinarily be carried out during on-site construction. Installing a manufactured home cannot be carried out as Complying Development.
Keep ReadingWhy Approved?
Approved delivers a unique service that provides a seamless experience, from start to finish, of the entire approval process. We set the benchmark in the planning and approval process and have built a team that accelerates the timeframes to construction. We are trusted by Australia’s largest and most recognised builders to create efficiency and consistency throughout the planning and construction phases of your project.
Keep ReadingCan you organise the documentation required for either type of approval pathway?
Yes we can! Regardless of what approval pathway you need (Complying Development Certificate or Development Application), your Client Manager can order, collate and submit the required documentation on your behalf.
Keep ReadingWhat is an Approval Pathway Assessment?
The Approval Pathway Assessment combines the expertise of Certifiers and Planners to provide our clients with a clear determination of the most efficient pathway for any approval, and will identify if a Complying Development certificate or Development application/Construction certificate is required. The result of the Approval Pathway Assessment enables our clients to understand the best way forward and what will be required to obtain a fast, simple approval.
Keep ReadingCan a dual occupancyand subdivision application be approved as Complying Development and issued a Complying Development Certificate (CDC)
Yes, subject to the permissibility requirements set out within the applicable Local Environmental Plan (LEP) at the time of the certificate being issued. An application must meet all requirements of Part 3B Low Rise Housing Diversity Code, and Part 6 Subdivisions Code, of the State Environmental Planning Policy (Exempt and Complying Development Codes) 2008 (referred to as the Codes SEPP). Note: LEP’s are subject to change. In a situation where permissibility for issuance of a CDC under the applicable LEP is revoked prior to the determination of an application, a CDC cannot be issued.
Keep ReadingWhat are the different planning approval pathways in NSW?
In NSW there are numerous approval pathways available: from exempt development through to complex Integrated development approval. Approved team specialises in approval pathway determination that would be required for majority of small to medium size residential and commercial developments: Complying Development Certificate (CDC) or Development Application (DA) + Construction certificate(CC).
Keep Reading