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Your step-by-step guide to the DA Process

Planning to develop in the Clarence Valley? All Development Applications, Construction Certificates and other documents can be lodged online via the NSW Planning Portal.

Prior to submitting your application, ensure your application provides all information and documents required. Your application won't be formally lodged until it has been checked for accuracy and completeness and the full and correct fees have been paid.

Stage 1 - Before you plan and build

Need assistance with submitting your application through the planning portal or have an general planning/building question.

Stage 2 - Lodgement

Find out how to lodge your application

Stage 3 - What happens next?

Track your DA, book an inspection , need to submit a compliance certificate

Development application delays

If you have recently lodged a Development Application (DA) or are about to, please be aware that due to exceptional circumstances, customers can expect delays on Council assessment times for all DAs.

We are currently experiencing an unprecedented surge in the number of DAs throughout the Local Government Area, are delivering services with available resources, and addressing impacts around the transition to online service delivery via the NSW Planning Portal.

Council is committed to maintaining open communication with applicants, developers and the community to provide as much certainty as possible about assessment timeframes.

How can you help?

There are some ways that you can help if you are lodging a Development Application. To help us reduce delays we would be grateful if you could:

Check the progress of your development application on our DA Track It page.
Ensure all required documentation is lodged with your DA and use our Duty Planner service if you have any queries before lodging your DA.
Understand that the assessment officer may not be available to take your call at all times and we will aim to return our call within 24 hours
Try to limit phone enquiries to the assessment officers from 8.30-11am.
If there is more than one applicant, please have a single representative contact us to reduce multiple enquiries
Use the NSW planning portal as the source of all information relating to development applications - it will continue to be upgraded and improved for this purpose.