Overview
How NSW Planning Works
The DA process in 60 seconds. Where conditions come from, and where DAPlanner fits in.
The DA Process
Lodgement
Applicant lodges a Development Application (DA) on the NSW Planning Portal with plans, reports, and fees.
Assessment
Council planner assesses the DA against the LEP, DCP, SEPPs, and the heads of consideration under s4.15 of the EP&A Act.
Determination
The DA is determined by either a Local Planning Panel (LPP), Regional Planning Panel (RPP), or under delegated authority by council staff.
Conditions
If approved, the consent comes with conditions — requirements the applicant must meet before, during, and after construction.
Compliance
The applicant must satisfy each condition at the right stage — prior to CC, during construction, or prior to OC.
What Are Conditions?
Conditions of consent are the legal requirements attached to a development approval. They specify what the applicant must do to comply with the consent — things like noise limits, stormwater management, tree protection, traffic controls, and construction hours.
Conditions are imposed under s4.17 of the EP&A Act 1979. They can be standard (template-based) or bespoke (written specifically for the DA). Most councils maintain template libraries that get applied to every DA, then add site-specific conditions on top.
A typical panel-determined DA in Sydney has 80–150 conditions. These are published as part of the Notice of Determination on the NSW Planning Portal.
Who Determines DAs?
In NSW, DAs are determined by three pathways depending on the scale and type of development:
Delegated Authority
Council staff determine the DA under delegation. Covers ~90% of all DAs by volume (typically CIV under $30M). Not currently in DAPlanner.
Local Planning Panels (LPP)
Independent panels that determine DAs above the delegation threshold, contentious applications, and variations to standards. DAPlanner includes LPP-determined conditions from panel agendas.
Regional Planning Panels (RPP) / Sydney District
State-appointed panels for larger DAs (typically CIV $30M+). Published on the NSW Planning Portal. DAPlanner's primary data source.
The Problem
There is no centralised, searchable database of DA conditions in NSW. Planners who want to research how other councils handle a particular issue — say, stormwater management or tree protection — have to:
This process takes hours. And there's no way to check whether the conditions themselves contain errors — outdated legislation references, abolished agency names, or placeholder text that was never filled in.
DAPlanner automates all of this. It extracts conditions from published determinations, categorises them, makes them searchable across 37 councils, and audits every condition for known errors.
Key Legislation
Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979
The primary planning legislation in NSW. Governs DAs, conditions, modifications, and compliance.
Local Environmental Plans (LEPs)
Council-level zoning and development standards. Each council has its own LEP based on the Standard Instrument template.
State Environmental Planning Policies (SEPPs)
State-level planning controls that override or supplement LEPs. Consolidated into themed SEPPs in 2022.
Development Control Plans (DCPs)
Detailed design and technical guidelines set by each council. Not legally binding but given significant weight.
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