What’s being proposed.
The NSW Government has released a discussion paper called Improving Development Assessment, proposing changes to how development applications (DAs) are prepared, lodged and assessed across the state.
It looks at how applicants understand what a council needs, how that information is presented, and how a DA moves from being submitted to being properly lodged and assessed.
The proposal centres on three things:
- A new digital tool to guide applicants through DA requirements
- A consistent set of standards for the documents and drawings that go with an application
- A series of changes to smooth out the lodgement process itself.
Why the change is happening.
The Department has set benchmarks for how long councils should take between an application being submitted and being formally lodged: 14 days in the 2024 to 2025 financial year, reducing to 7 days from 1 July 2025.
Despite this, delays remain common.
Feedback from councils points to a familiar problem. Applicants aren’t always clear on what’s required, requirements are inconsistent between councils, and the information needed often only becomes obvious once someone starts filling in the form on the NSW Planning Portal. Councils then spend time going back and forth with applicants before an application can even be lodged.
The numbers back this up. Councils exceeding the 14 day lodgement benchmark has improved from 52 per cent to 31 per cent since 2021 to 2022. However, the proportion of applications returned as incomplete has gone up, from 15 per cent to 27 per cent over the same period. Lodgement is getting faster on paper, but more applications are being sent back first.
A digital tool to guide applicants.
The centrepiece of the proposal is a new interactive online tool. Rather than applicants working through long guidance documents and static checklists, the tool would ask a short series of questions about the property and the proposed work, then generate a tailored list of exactly what’s needed.
- Applicants would start by entering the property address, which pulls in planning controls such as zoning, floor space ratio and height limits automatically.
- They would then answer questions about what they’re planning to do, such as building a secondary dwelling, installing a pool, or constructing a retaining wall.
- The tool would generate a customised list of mandatory documents and drawings, along with guidance on what each one should contain and who is qualified to prepare it.
The idea is to move away from a one-size-fits-all list of requirements and towards something tailored to the specific site and project, reducing the guesswork that currently leads to incomplete applications.
Consistent standards for documents and drawings.
Alongside the tool, the Department is proposing a consistent set of standards for what should go into a DA. It draws a distinction between two types of expectation.
- Requirements are mandatory. They’re set out in the approved form under the EP&A Regulation, and a DA must meet them to be considered complete at lodgement.
- Standards are best practice guidance on the content and quality expected in a document or drawing. They wouldn’t be mandatory, but they set a clear benchmark for what a well-prepared submission looks like.
The discussion paper sets out proposed standards across four areas, summarised below.
General drawing requirements would also be expanded to cover things like a consistent metric scale, clear dimensions, revision dates, lot and deposited plan numbers, a true north arrow and details of materials and finishes. Site plans would need to show more detail too, including drainage, existing vegetation, tree protection zones and bin storage areas.
The Department is also asking whether some of these standards should become mandatory requirements rather than best practice guidance. If that happens, councils would have a clearer basis to reject an incomplete DA outright, rather than negotiating missing information after the fact.
Smoothing out lodgement.
The paper also proposes changes to the mechanics of getting a DA from submission through to formal lodgement.
- An online payment gateway would let applicants pay fees when they submit a DA. If the application looks complete, payment is processed straight away and the DA is lodged. If not, payment would still be processed automatically after 7 days, removing the current grey area where an application can sit unresolved with no clear timeframe.
- Clearer terminology would fix the inconsistent use of the words made, submitted and lodged across the EP&A Regulation, so it’s obvious at each step what stage an application is actually at.
- A Christmas and New Year exclusion would pause the clock on statutory assessment periods over the 20 December to 10 January shutdown, similar to the exclusion that already applies to public exhibition periods.
- Amendment provisions would be clarified, including a proposed 14 day timeframe for a consent authority to respond to a request to amend a DA, and clearer guidance on what information should accompany that request.
Together, these changes are aimed at giving applicants more certainty about timing, rather than leaving lodgement and amendment requests open ended.
What this means for developers.
For builders and developers working across the Illawarra and Shoalhaven, several parts of this proposal are worth planning around.
- More certainty on timing. A clear lodgement date within 7 days of submission, rather than sitting in limbo while fees are worked out.
- Less rework. Tailored, upfront guidance on exactly what’s needed should reduce applications sent back for missing information, saving time and consultant fees.
- Greater consistency across councils. A shared set of standards should reduce the current variation between the Illawarra’s councils on what a complete DA looks like.
- A tighter bar to clear at lodgement. If standards become mandatory, getting documentation right the first time will matter more, not less.
- More predictable amendments. A firm response timeframe should make it easier to plan around a DA amendment, rather than an open-ended wait.
Timeline and where the proposal stands.
The discussion paper was open for public comment from 2 July 2026 to 5pm on 30 July 2026. That submission window has now closed, and the Department is reviewing the feedback received.
If the reforms proceed, they’ll roll out in stages. The first stage, targeted for late 2026, would bring the online tool live along with the new requirements and standards, plus regulation changes for the Christmas and New Year exclusion and amended DAs. A second stage would follow to implement the broader submission to lodgement changes, including the online payment gateway and updates to the NSW Planning Portal.
You can read the full discussion paper on the NSW Planning Portal. For questions about the Planning System Reforms Act 2025, the Department can be contacted at planningsystemreform@dphi.nsw.gov.au.
How Allen Price can help.
Whether it’s preparing a Statement of Environmental Effects, arranging specialist reports, or understanding what these proposed standards mean for your next application, our town planning, civil engineering, surveying and project management teams can help you get it right the first time.
Get in touch to talk through what this means for your upcoming development.
