Pre-Development Applications

Waverley Council offers a pre-DA (Development Application) service where you can lodge a preliminary application with Council to obtain an opinion on a proposal before you lodge a formal development application.

Waverley Council's pre-DA lodgement service provides future applicants who have already prepared concept development plans with the opportunity to discuss the details of their proposal. While your plans need not be to DA lodgement standard, the more detail you provide the better, as it enables us to provide more useful advice on your proposal.

The Pre-DA consultation service cannot determine the outcome of a future DA and does not bind Council, however it provides useful advice regarding your proposal and can help in determining Council's key issues, design modifications required and whether to proceed with the application. This service is provided for a fee which is based on the cost of the proposed development. Formal advice is then provided outlining any issues that should be addressed prior to the subsequent lodgement of the Development Application (DA).

While the pre-DA service is not a prerequisite to a DA, Waverley Council encourages pre-DAs for the following types of developments:

  • New multi dwelling housing, residential flat buildings and other residential buildings, including boarding houses, student housing and serviced apartments
  • Mixed use developments with both residential and commercial and large scale subdivisions;
  • Commercial development (other than minor additions/alterations or change of use applications);
  • Industrial development (other than minor additions/alterations or change of use applications);
  • Significant developments (developments with a value of $20m +)
  • Institutional buildings;
  • Significant alterations and additions to buildings in the B1 (Neighbourhood centre), B3 (Commercial core) and B4 (Mixed Use) zones; and
  • Where significant site constraints exist.

Developments which require review by the Design Excellence Advisory Panel are also encouraged to be reviewed at Pre-DA stage, as the Panel's involvement at an early stage of the design process is useful prior to formal DA lodgement. Review by the Panel requires the submission of 4 additional copies of the plans and incurs a fee. You can obtain a quote for Pre-DA fees for the Design Excellence Advisory Panel by calling 9083 8000. Please refer to the Design Excellence Advisory Panel page for further information of what types of development this includes.

Pre-DA applications must be lodged directly to the Council and CANNOT be lodged via the NSW Planning Portal. The relevant forms are below:

The application must be submitted via email to duty.planner@waverley.nsw.gov.au. Once your application has been accepted by the duty planner, you will be contacted by Council's Customer Service team for payment.

Your pre-DA application will be allocated to an available Development Assessment Planner to assess before advice is provided. The advice will be provided in writing. Should a meeting be required, the Assessment Planner will arrange a time to meet with you to discuss the proposal.

Quick links

Electronic Lodgement Guidelines

Waverley Council requires electronic lodgement of all plans and supporting documentation for all Planning and Building applications in digital form (as PDF documents contained on a CD, USB or similar device). The documents must be submitted in a particular format which is outlined in Council's Electronic Lodgment Guidelines.

Need more information?

Council has a Duty Planner available for general enquiries relating to the planning process, policies and lodgement requirements.The Duty Officer is not able to provide detailed planning advice or high level planning information.

You can: