Pre-lodgement meetings

Online

You can lodge your request for a pre-lodgement meeting online. Just follow the prompts to lodge your application.

Note: The last pre-lodgement meetings for this year will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday 13th and 14th of December 2022.

Pre-lodgement meetings will recommence on 17th of January 2023.

Tuesday afternoons

Our pre-lodgement meetings on Tuesday afternoons are for:

• dual occupancies
• single dwellings
• granny flats

Wednesday afternoons

Our pre-lodgement meetings on Wednesday afternoons are for:

• complex sites
• flooding
• heritage
• residential flat buildings
• townhouses
• mixes use developments
• significant sites

Design Excellence Advisory Panel

The Design Excellence Advisory Panel meetings occur twice a month on Thursdays.

Depending on the type of development that you propose, Council officers from relevant disciplines will attend the meeting to give you advice tailored to your proposed development.

Council’s Team Leader Development Advice will chair the meeting and supported with relevant officers such as:

• Development Engineer
• Tree and Landscape Specialist
• Environmental Health Officer
• Urban Designer
• Social Planners
• Heritage Advisor
• Other suitable officers 

You should detail the key issues in your application which will allow Council officers to arrange the appropriate officer to attend your meeting. 

Council’s pre-lodgement service is available if your proposed development/site contains the following issues:

• the slope of the site does not enable drainage to the street
• identified flood prone site
• sites contain items of heritage value involving:
  • demolition, significant alterations or additions to a heritage item or conservation area and any substantial alterations or additions to a building located within a heritage conservation area
  • seeking use of conservation incentives or significant impingement on the curtilage of the item
• development proposals which involve:
  • questions of permissibility or existing use rights
  • non-compliances with the development control plans
  • significant variations pursuant to SEPP 1 or clause 4.6 of an Environmental Planning Instrument
  • all mixed use or residential apartment development which involve significant departures from the apartment design guidelines;
  • in-fill, boarding houses and group homes, or ‘affordable housing’ pursuant to State Environmental Planning Policy (Affordable Rental Housing) 2009
• any proposal for 'designated development'
• any development proposal which may have an impact on threatened flora or fauna or which may have substantial impact on the integrity of an adjoining/nearby watercourse or body of water
• any industrial development which by nature of the use and/or processes and materials involved requires assessment under SEPP 33
• any proposal where the value of the development exceeds $20 million
• any proposal for a place of public assembly or public recreation facility
• any development which is considered to be of a contentious nature and/or likely to have significant social/economic impacts on the community
• any development which by virtue of its type or processes or activities carried out has the potential to have a significant impact on the environment (Water quality, air quality, flora/fauna populations etc.) or the amenity of an area (noise, dust, odour, traffic generation, visual etc.)

You need to pay the fees when you lodge your application.

We recommend you thoroughly research your proposal and provide in depth details including:

• site plan with floor plans and elevations for all proposed buildings
• photographs of the site and surrounding area
• non-compliances/variations from Council's planning controls and development standards and any justifications for these variations
• design issues that need to be discussed
• details of any likely issues such as:
  • increase in traffic
  • storm water
  • noise
  • infrastructure needs
  • environmental impact
• any other information you think we need to assess your application. 

We recommend that our Design Excellence Advisory Panel evaluates all larger scale residential and commercial developments where the State Environmental Planning Policy No 65—Design Quality of Residential Apartment Development known as (SEPP 65) applies.

This includes:

• residential flat buildings
• shop top housing
• mixed use developments with a residential component
• if the building is 3 or more storeys and 4 or more dwellings. 

The panel will evaluate your application and provide feedback and recommendations.

In order to get the most out of your meeting you will need the provide the following information:

Site and context analysis

A site and context analysis examines and records the existing characteristics of the site and its surroundings, providing context for the proposal, while identifying the opportunities and constraints for the site.

The context analysis can be separate and larger scaled (1:500) plan which shows adjoining sites and their zonings, building footprints, road patterns and open space.

A site analysis should be prepared using a survey as a base and should include:

• site dimensions and area
• existing structures
• landscape features, steep slopes and existing vegetation on or near the site including trees to be retained or removed
• all adjoining properties, buildings and window opening locations
• bar scale with text note, north point
• important views to and from the site
• contours and wind direction
• soils and areas of site contamination
• opportunities and constraints for development.

Appraisal

The appraisal should include:

• SEPP 65 verification statement by a registered architect with their registration number
• Draft Statement of Environmental Effects, which identifies:
  • use permissibility
  • zone objectives permissibility
  • justification for the preferred option
  • compliance with LEP/DCP controls.

Proposed development

The drawings should note the registered architect with their registration number and also show:

• 3D representation – sketches are adequate
• site photos to describe context and the site
• streetscape sketches showing a minimum of 2 buildings either side
• relevant plans, sections and elevation (all apartments and balconies to show furniture layout).

Indicative:

• basement level structures
• setbacks and soft soil zone areas
• cut and fill and finished floor areas
• access and parking arrangements
• stormwater concept diagram (including roof water dispersal)
• bar scale and north point
• materials and finishes – in colour.