One of the first questions we’re asked by homeowners planning a renovation, extension or new build is whether they need a full Development Application (DA), or whether their project can go through the faster Complying Development (CDC) pathway. It’s a fair question – the two pathways lead to very different timeframes, costs and levels of certainty, and most people don’t find out which one applies until they’ve already started drawing up plans.
Here’s a plain-English guide to how each pathway works, what typically qualifies, and how to work out which one applies to your project before you get too far down either path.
What Is a Development Application (DA)?
A Development Application is a formal request lodged with your local council seeking consent for a proposed development. DAs are assessed on their merits against relevant planning controls, often involve public notification to neighbours, and can take anywhere from a couple of months to well over a year, depending on the complexity of the project, quality of the application, council workload, and whether any objections are received.
The upside of the DA pathway is flexibility – where a proposal doesn’t strictly meet a numeric standard, council can still grant approval if it’s satisfied the variation is reasonable and well justified. Our town planning team prepares and lodges DAs and manages the process on your behalf from start to finish.
What Is Complying Development (CDC)?
Complying Development is a fast-track approval pathway for straightforward projects that meet a strict, predetermined set of standards set out in State Environmental Planning Policies. If your proposal meets every applicable standard, it can be approved by an accredited private certifier without going through a full merit assessment with council and is often approved within a matter of weeks.
The trade-off is that CDC has no flexibility. If even one element of your proposal falls outside the numeric standards – setback, height, floor space ratio, site coverage and so on – the whole application is ineligible, and the project is pushed back to the DA pathway.
Key Differences Between a DA and a CDC
- Assessment approach: DAs are merit-based and allow council discretion; CDCs are prescriptive and must meet every standard exactly.
- Timeframe: DAs typically take several months or longer; CDCs are generally faster once the documentation is correct.
- Who approves it: DAs are determined by local council; CDCs can be certified by an accredited certifier.
- Flexibility: DAs allow for justified variations to development standards; CDCs allow none.
- Public notification: DAs often require neighbour notification; CDCs generally don’t.
What Kind of Projects Typically Qualify for CDC?
Common examples of CDC-eligible work include single storey (and some two storey) home extensions and renovations that meet setback and height rules, secondary dwellings or granny flats on lots that meet the minimum size requirements, carports, garages, decks and pergolas, swimming pools, internal alterations that don’t affect external walls, and specific eligible subdivision.
When You’ll Need a DA Instead
- Building closer to a boundary than CDC setback rules allow
- Heritage-listed properties or land within a heritage conservation area
- Bushfire-prone or flood-affected land, in many cases
- Larger, multi-storey or more complex developments
- Anything exceeding CDC height, floor space ratio or site coverage limits
- Change of land use, or subdivisions that fall outside CDC parameters
How To Work Out Which Pathway Applies To You
Because CDC standards are exact and leave no room for negotiation, and DA assessments involve interpreting planning controls that vary by council and zoning, most homeowners benefit from a quick feasibility check before committing to detailed plans. This usually starts with an up-to-date detail survey of the site, followed by advice on the most appropriate approval pathway for your specific proposal. Our team offers planning approval pathway and strategy advice to help you avoid preparing the wrong application type, and to keep your project on the fastest realistic timeline.
Get In Touch With Clement & Reid
Not sure which survey, approval pathway or surveyor your project needs? The team at Clement & Reid is happy to talk it through before you commit to anything. Contact us via our online enquiry form or call us on 9056 1900 – we’re here to help you move forward with confidence.