Before diving into development plans, it's essential to understand the unique characteristics of your property and the rules that shape its potential. This module guides you through key aspects of where why to find details about your land, including zoning regulations, site constraints, and potential opportunities.

A concept design at this stage will help you communicate your proposal to your local council and other stakeholders such as architects, building designers or draftspeople. It will also help you narrow down your budget which in turn will affect your design, the scale of your project and what materials and finishes you can afford.

Your local Council is your go-to resource for preliminary advice when you are undertaking the process on your own.

After your pre-lodgement meeting with Council, it's time to assemble a team of experts who can help you prepare the essential documentation.

We will dive into working with the right professionals to ensure your proposal aligns with your budget, Council requirements and stands the best chance of approval.

Across most Council's in NSW there are standard documents that will need to be submitted as part of your Development Application.

Some documents you can complete yourself with no expertise needed, and some will come from your team of professionals.

In this step we will guide you through the documents you will need professional help with as well as documents that can save you money by doing yourself including handy templates.

The NSW Planning Portal is the gateway to making a Development Application in NSW.

In this stage we will guide you through the process on how to create NSW Planning Portal account via two simple methods.

Learn how to navigate the NSW Planning Portal, input the key aspects of the development and upload the important documents required to support your submission.

Once you have lodged your Development Application (DA) through the NSW Planning Portal, it enters a vetting stage.

During this time, Council officers review your application to ensure it is complete and meets the basic requirements for assessment and request additional information if required.

During the vetting stage is when Council will issue their fees for assessing the application.

Guiding you through the assessment and determination stage, we outline how Council will assess your proposal against relevant planning controls and policies to determine if it is suitable for approval.