Preliminary Planning Assessment (PPA)
A preliminary planning assessment is the report you commission before spending money on design. It sets out the zoning and permissibility, the development envelope the controls allow, the approval pathway that applies, the specialist reports the site will require, and the constraints that will shape the proposal. It is the cheapest risk reduction available on any project.
Free consultation
- 5–7 business days
- From $950 + GST
- Quoted fixed after a free scope check
What is in the report
Permissibility - whether the use you have in mind is permitted in the zone, with or without consent, cited to the land use table.
Envelope - the height, floor space ratio, setbacks and site coverage the controls allow, and what that means for realistic yield.
Overlays and constraints - heritage, bushfire, flood, acid sulfate soils, contamination history, biodiversity, easements and covenants.
Pathway - exempt, complying development or DA, with the timeframe for each.
Report schedule - precisely which specialist reports the site will require, so you can budget the whole project rather than discovering costs sequentially.
Who commissions these
Buyers doing development due diligence before exchange. Owners deciding whether a project is worth pursuing. Architects who want the planning parameters confirmed before they design. And lenders and joint venture partners who want an independent read on feasibility.
How it works
Instruction
Same day
Send us the address and what you are considering.
Assessment
3–5 business days
Zoning, controls, overlays, permissibility and envelope analysis.
Report
5–7 business days total
A written assessment with a pathway recommendation and a report schedule.
What we take off your hands
What EHUP handles
- Zoning and permissibility against the LEP land use table
- Height, floor space ratio and setback envelope
- Overlay identification - heritage, bushfire, flood, contamination, biodiversity
- Approval pathway recommendation with timeframes
- A specific list of the specialist reports required, and why
What you don't have to deal with
- Paying for a design that the controls will not support
- Buying a site on an assumption nobody tested
Frequently asked questions
When should I commission a PPA?
Before purchase if you are buying for development, and before engaging a designer if you already own the site. Its whole value is in being early - once drawings exist, the money that a PPA would have saved has already been spent.
What do I get?
A written report you can act on and hand to a lender, a partner or an architect. It covers permissibility, the achievable envelope, the pathway, the constraints and the report requirements, with the relevant controls cited so it can be checked.
Is this the same as a council pre-lodgement meeting?
No, and they serve different purposes. A PPA is independent advice you own and control. A pre-lodgement meeting is council indicating a view, which is useful but non-binding and only worth having once you know what you are asking. A PPA usually comes first.
Does it guarantee approval?
No, and any consultant who tells you otherwise is overselling. It tells you what the controls allow and where the risks sit, which is what lets you make a decision with the real information rather than an optimistic assumption.
Related services
Statement of Environmental Effects
A Statement of Environmental Effects is the mandatory planning report accompanying a Development Application.
Planning Reports
A Development Application is only as strong as the planning argument attached to it.
Development Application (DA)
A Development Application is the merit-assessed approval pathway.
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.