Lodge a Development Application

If you're planning to build or renovate in Lake Macquarie, it's likely you'll need to submit a Development Application to gain consent from Council. There's a few ways to do this:

Apply with Council

Step 1.Register or Sign in

To apply for a Development Application online, you must be registered with Council's Online Services. Registration can take up to one business day to process. If you have already registered with Council's Online Services and would like to check the progress of your DA you can sign in.

Register now Sign in

Step 2.Gather your documents

The type of information that accompanies a Development Application will very depending on your proposal and site. This may include:

  • Owners consent
  • A Statement of Environmental Effects (SEE)
  • Site survey
  • Site analysis
  • A BASIX certificate - a basix certificate is an energy efficiency report for a new home or alterations and additions greater than $50,000 that demonstrates its sustainability
  • Other plans such as landscape or drainage plans
  • Specific technical reports

Your Development Application should address all relevant matters, up-front, in your Statement of Environmental Effects (SEE). This will help to avoid additional information requests, and will help to ensure an efficient and smooth process.

A range of plans and documents, as outlined in Schedule 1 of the NSW Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulation 2000, must be submitted with your application. The specific plans and documents will vary depending on your development.

The total combined maximum file size for PDF plans and documents that can be uploaded to your application is 100mb.  Council does not accept zip files, if the files are greater than 100mb in total, please contact our Customer Service Centre who will assist you.

For advice on what to submit, contact our Customer Service Centre on 02 4921 0333, Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm, and ask to speak with a Duty Officer.

Step 3.Lodge

Once you have all the required documentation, you're ready to lodge your Development Application. You'll need to upload electronic versions of the required documentation in order to complete you application.

Lodge a Development Application

Step 4.Pay

Lodgement fees will be calculated by Council staff and provided to you in writing after we've received your Development Application.

Your Development Application will not be determined until all outstanding fees have been paid.

NSW Planning Portal

Registered users can lodge Development Applications for local development online using the NSW Planning Portal.

You can apply for Construction Certificates, Subdivision Certificates and Occupation Certificates as part of the Development Application process.

Lodgement interview

If you're proposing a medium or major development, you are required to submit your Development Application at a Lodgement Interview.

To book a Lodgement Interview, call us on 4921 0685, Monday-Friday, 8.30am-4.30pm.

Refer to the information below for more on medium and major development types.

 

Medium development types

Amusement centre

Affordable housing

Animal boarding or training establishment

Backpackers accommodation

Boarding house

Boat building and repair facility

Bulky good premises (greater than 3,500sqm)

Business premises (greater than 2,500sqm)

Camping ground

Caravan park (additions)

Cellar door premises

Charter and tourism boating facility

Child care centre (new)

Commercial premises (greater than 2.500sqm)

Depot

Eco-tourism facility

Educational establishment (additions)

Emergency services facility

Health services facility (additions)

High technology industry

Highway service centre

Horticulture

Hotel/motel accommodation

Industrial activity

Industrial retail outlet

Industrial training facility

Information and education facility

Intensive plant agriculture

Landscaping material supplies

Light industry

Multiple dwelling housing (smaller than 30 lots)

Office premises (greater than 2,500sqm)

Place of public worship

Plant nursery

Public administration building

Public utility undertaking

Recreation facility (indoor or outdoor)

Registered club

Research station

Respite day care centre

Retail premises (greater than 2,500sqm)

Self-storage units

Service station

Serviced apartment (smaller than 30 units)

Shop (greater than 2,500sqm)

Shop-top housing

Small bar

Storage premises

Subdivision (8-30 lots)

Telecommunications facility

Timber yard

Truck depot

Vehicle body repair workshop

Vehicle sales or hire premises

Veterinary hospital

Warehouse or distribution centre

Water storage facility

Wholesale supplies

    

Major development types

Agriculture produce industry

Agriculture

Air transport facility

Airport

Airstrip

Aquaculture

Bio-solids treatment facility

Brothel

Canal estate development

Caravan park (new)

Cemetery or crematorium

Correctional facility

Dairy

Educational establishment (new)

Electricity generating works

Extensive agriculture

Extractive industry

Feedlot

Forestry

Freight transport facility

Hazardous industry

Hazardous storage establishment

Health services facility

Heavy industrial storage establishment

 Heavy industry

Helipad or heliport

Hospital

Intensive livestock agriculture

Liquid fuel depot

Livestock processing facility

Marina

Mine/open cut mine

Mixed use development

Mortuary

Multiple dwelling housing (more than 30 lots)

Offensive industry

Offensive storage establishment

Passenger transport facility

Port facilities

Residential care facility

Residential flat building

Resource recovery facility

Restriction facilities

Rural industry

Sawmill or log processing works

Seniors housing

Serviced apartment (more than 30 units)

Sewerage system, reticulation system or treatment plant

Sex services premises

Stock and sale yard

Subdivision (more than 30 lots)

Transport depot

Turf farming

Viticulture

Waste disposal facility

Waste or resource transfer station

Water recycling facility

 Water reticulation system

Water treatment facility

Wharf or boating facility

Exempt and complying development

Some types of development do not require approval from Council. 

For more information on exempt and complying developments:

Need a Construction Certificate?

You can apply for a Construction Certificate alongside your Development Application, or after your Development Application has been determined.

Related Information

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