• Home
• >
• Building & Development
• >
• Development applications

Development applications

You may be required to submit a Development Application (DA) before you can make changes to a building or site. This might include:

• building a residential, commercial or industrial building
• making an alteration or addition to a residential, commercial or industrial property
• subdividing land
• changing the use of a building.

For information about how to prepare a Development Application, click here.

Electronic lodgement guidelines:

Waverley Council requires electronic lodgement of all plans and supporting documentation in digital form (as PDF documents contained on a CD, USB or similar device).

Changes to the Development Application Process from 1 June 2018

What are the changes?

Building and Environmental Enforcement Levy
This is a new levy that will provide for enhanced checking of all building sites throughout Waverley to ensure compliance with relevant development consent conditions. It will also ensure that appropriate environmental protections are in place to reduce impacts on the stormwater system, neighbourhood amenity and the environment.

This levy is calculated at 0.1% of the estimated cost of work to a maximum of $5,000. The levy is applied to every new Development Application at the time of lodgement.

Electronic Lodgement Requirements
Waverley Council have updated the requirements for electronic lodgement of all plans and supporting documentation in digital form (as PDF documents contained on a CD, USB or similar device). The CD/USB will become the property of Waverley Council. Your application will be uploaded into Council’s electronic management system, enabling customers to track the progress of their application online and to provide public exhibition of your DA.

Applications will not be accepted without a valid email address, files combined and labelled in accordance with the requirements that can be found in the Lodgement Guidelines.

Application forms
Application forms have been updated to account for these changes.  Please ensure you log onto Council’s website and download these Development Application forms to complete just before you lodge.

Lodgement of submissions to an application
For lodging submissions to an application, our new email address to send these to is: dasubmissions@waverley.nsw.gov.au

Electronic stamped consents
Once your application has been determined, the applicant will be emailed to advise the application has been determined and sent a link to download an electronic copy of the Notice of Determination and associated plans/ documents.  It’s important that a valid email address is provided on your application form. 

DA Tracking Tool
Once your application is lodged with Council, you can follow the progress on Council’s website, via the DA Tracking Tool.

What types of applications do these changes apply to?
- Development Applications (including Modifications and Reviews)
- Pre DAs
- Footpath Seating applications
- Subdivision Certificates
- Heritage Exemption Certificates
- Appeals lodged in the Land and Environment Court


When do these changes occur?
As of 1 June 2018, these changes have taken full effect and that means that all applications must be lodged in accordance with the new digital requirements from that date onwards. Please ensure you familiarise yourself with the changes.

If you’ve lodged an application before 1 June 2018, will accept those applications and documentations under the former system. From 1 June 2018 however, applications that fail to provide the documentation in the required manner will not be accepted.


How to find out more information:

We have a Duty Planner available between the hours of 8.30am – to 1pm and 2pm -5.00pm weekdays who can answer general enquiries regarding the planning process.

The Duty Planner is available to:

• Check that development applications (DA) and other planning applications are complete and have the correct information to avoid delays in the assessment process. Applications will not be accepted if information is inadequate.
• Provide information on the DA assessment process and how you can track the progress of your DA. The Duty Officer is not able to provide a timeline or estimated time for the determination of an application.
• Provide information on where you can find Council’s development controls (such as Waverley LEP and Waverley DCP) and provide general assistance with interpretation of the controls. The Duty Planner is not able to provide detailed information on which controls apply to development or the likelihood of any variation to the controls being supported by Council.
• Providing assistance with understanding plans and information submitted with a development application during the DA notification period. The Duty Planner is not able to provide advice on the likely outcome of any application.
• Provide information on how you can obtain higher level planning advice via Council’s Pre-DA process. The Duty Planner is not able to provide advice regarding the merits or likelihood of approval of a proposal.
• Provide general advice on whether a development requires a DA or direct you to where you can obtain this information. The Duty Planner is not able to provide any detailed or site specific assessment or advice as to whether a development meets the provisions as exempt or complying development.
• Provide information on how you can determine the zoning of a property. Due to legal restrictions, the Duty Officer is not able to provide specific advice on zoning of any property.
• Provide a range of other general planning related information.

The Duty Officer is not able to provide detailed planning advice or high level planning information. If this is required, you may need to engage your own planning consultant or legal practitioner.

How to lodge your application:
BY MAIL with a cheque attached to:

Post:
The General Manager Waverley Council
PO Box 9
BONDI JUNCTION NSW 1355

Dx:
DX 12006 Bondi Junction

Over the counter:
By courier or personal delivery with payment to be made via cash, cheque, credit card or EFTPOS at the Customer Service Centre at 55 Spring Street, Bondi Junction.

Our Customer Service Centre is open: Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 5.00pm

Note: No lodgements are accepted between 1 – 2pm or after 4pm on any day.

For more information about DAs, please follow the links below.

• The DA process
• Pre-Development Application
• Development Application
• Exempt and Complying Development
• Application Forms
• Decision Makers
• Post Determination