Development Approval
A question we are often asked is "how does the development approval process work?".
Slowly and mysteriously are words often associated with the answer.
In order to summarise the process simply and succinctly, we asked Christopher Parker from Christopher Parker Architects for his assistance. A full copy of Christopher's summary can be viewed by clicking here.
Development Approval is, in its simplest form, a three step process:
- Development Plan Consent - "Planning Approval" as it is generally referred, issued by the Council in response to the development application and assessed against the Council's development plan.
Various information, including schematic drawings and a site plan, is required at this stage and the Council may request more (and often more) depending upon specific circumstances. - Building Rules Consent - "Building Approval" as it is generally referred, is the approval of detailed building and engineering plans of the development against the Building Code of Australia (BCA). This approval can be issued by either the Council or a Private Certifier.
- Development Approval - "Final Development Approval" is issued by the Council to the developer following the granting of both Planning and Building Approval.
The process can be relatively straightforward if the development proposal is a "complying development" under the Council's Development Plan. In such circumstances proponents can move directly to the Building Approval phase.
In circumstances where the proposal is "not non complying" the planning approval stage can be far more complex, time consuming and frustrating.
Joe Walker, a Director of one of MRS's longstanding clients, Harmony Corporation, once commented with respect to development approvals, "we never have any problems with development approvals, because we only ever do complying developments" he said tongue in cheek. If only it was always that simple!!