How we get your project approved
Most of the anxiety around council approval comes from not knowing what happens next or what it will end up costing. So this is the whole process, in order, with the timeframes and the point at which the fee is fixed. Nothing is lodged before you have read it.
The six steps
Understanding your development goal
Same or next business day
You send the address and a description of what you want to do. We check the zoning, the Local Environmental Plan and Development Control Plan controls, and any overlays - heritage, bushfire, flood, acid sulfate soils. That tells us which of the three approval pathways applies.
Written scope and fixed fee
Within 2 business days
You get a written scope listing exactly which reports your site needs and a fixed fee for our work. Council lodgement fees are shown separately because they are paid directly to council, not to us.
Documentation prepared
Typically 2–4 weeks
We prepare the planning report or Statement of Environmental Effects, coordinate any specialist reports, and assemble the package. Where drawings are needed we either work from your architect's set or prepare them.
You review before lodgement
2–3 days
Nothing goes to council until you have read the package and are comfortable with it. If a variation is being sought, we explain exactly what is being argued and why.
Lodgement and council liaison
Until determination
We lodge through the NSW Planning Portal and handle every request for further information. Council correspondence comes to us, not to you - which is the part most clients say they were most relieved to hand over.
Determination and next steps
CDC 2–3 weeks · DA typically 6–10 weeks
On approval we walk you through the conditions of consent and what has to happen before work starts. If council refuses or imposes an unworkable condition, we set out the options - modification, Section 8.3 review, or appeal.
The three approval pathways
Almost every project in NSW falls into one of these. Knowing which one applies before you start is what saves the most time and money - lodging a full DA for something that qualified as complying development can cost you a month for nothing.
Frequently asked questions
What do you need from me to start?
The property address and a plain description of what you want to do. That is enough for the free scope check. Existing drawings, a survey plan or previous council correspondence all help, but nothing is required up front.
Is the fee fixed, or does it change as the project goes on?
Fixed for the scope in the written proposal. If the project itself changes - you add a storey, or council requires a report nobody anticipated - we quote that separately before doing it. You will not receive an invoice for work you did not agree to.
Do you deal with council directly, or do I have to?
We do. We lodge the application, respond to requests for further information, and talk to the assessing planner. You are copied in but you do not have to manage it.
What happens if council refuses the application?
There are three routes: a Section 8.3 review of determination (which has a strict deadline), a modified resubmission, or an appeal to the Land and Environment Court. We tell you honestly which one is realistic for your matter rather than defaulting to the most expensive.
Why clients choose EHUP
- 10+
- 250+
- 14
- 1
Not sure which approval you need?
Tell us the address and what you want to do. We'll help identify the appropriate planning pathway, whether it is exempt development, complying development or a full DA. Your first conversation is free.