Pre-DA lodgement meeting

Pre-lodgement meetings are designed for discussions of complex, larger-scale development proposals.  They are a chance for you to get feedback and general advice from relevant Council officers in preparation of your development application.

Weekly meetings are held on Tuesday and Thursday from 9:30am - 10:15am. Meetings are to be booked at least one week in advance subject to availability.

Please note these meetings are held via Microsoft Teams (Online).

Detailed minutes from the meeting will generally be issued within 10 business days of the meeting, however timeframes may be extended on complex matters or if specific technical advice is required from other sections of Council.

Online Meeting

Step 1.Are you eligible?

The types of developments that are suitable for a pre-lodgement meeting include:

  • Residential flat buildings
  • Multi-dwelling housing (involving four or more units)
  • Boarding houses
  • Subdivisions (involving three or more lots)
  • Seniors housing
  • New industrial and commercial development (or large scale additions to)
  • Service stations
  • Educational establishments
  • Child care centres
  • Health services facilities
  • Tourist and visitor accommodation
  • Recreation facilities
  • Intensive livestock agriculture
  • Intensive plant agriculture
  • Extractive industries
  • Designated development

Step 2.Conduct preliminary research

To get the most out of the meeting we recommend that you thoroughly research the issues and constraints that apply to the land and the planning controls that apply to the development.

The constraints that apply to a land parcel can be viewed using our online mapping tools.

For information relating to planning controls that apply to development in the Clarence Valley Local Government Area, please see our Development Control Plans information and Policies.

Step 3.Book your meeting

To complete your booking, you'll need:

  • concept plans or preliminary designs
  • outline of the issues you wish to discuss

Pre-DA lodgement meetings are held each Tuesday and Thursday for 45 minutes.

Request a Pre-Lodgement Meeting

Once you have requested a meeting, Council will determine whether your development proposal is suitable for a Pre-DA lodgement meeting. Whether your meeting request will be accepted is dependent on the nature of your proposal.

Step 4.At the meeting

You'll be asked to begin the meeting by providing a short overview (no more than 10 minutes) of your proposed development. Council officers will then respond to the questions you are seeking advice on and provide general advice.

Advice provided at the pre-lodgement meeting is preliminary in nature and intended to assist with the preparation of a formal application. Council officers do not undertake an inspection of the site or undertake a detailed assessment of the proposed development prior to the meeting.

Comments provided by Council officers are current at the time of the meeting and are subject to change due to changes to legislative/planning controls. Comments are made in good faith and are provided in response to information supplied by the customer to Council. The advice should not be regarded as a commitment to the likely outcome of a development application.

Following lodgement of an application a detailed assessment, in accordance with the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 and associated Regulation will be undertaken. Following such an assessment additional matters, not discussed at the meeting, may be raised as part of the assessment process that will require resolution. As a result of a detailed assessment, Council may also determine that a proposed development cannot be supported.

Some developments also require approvals under legislation administered by other public authorities such as the NSW Rural Fire Service and the NSW Department of Planning - Water. Council officers cannot provide specific advice in relation to the requirements of these authorities and separate contact should be made with these authorities before lodging your application. 

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