Notification requirements for development applications

Notice of an application will be sent to those who own land adjoining and neighbouring an application site if, in the Council’s opinion, the enjoyment of the adjoining or neighbouring land may be detrimentally affected by the development to which the application applies.

In forming an opinion to notify adjoining owners, Council will consider potential impacts on the use and amenity of their land, including such matters as:

• Impact on views

• Access to sunlight, privacy 

• Impact of noise, odour, light

• Visual impact, streetscape and local character

• Traffic and access

• Compliance with adopted codes and policies

Where notification is to occur all property owners within 50 metres of the land the development is proposed on will be notified. If we determine there is likely to be a broader public interest we may notify a distance further than 50 metres. Notification will take the form of a written letter, posted to the address the landowner has registered with Council for the purpose of rating. This written notification will direct the recipient to our website for further information and to view documentation.

Applications will also appear on the NSW Planning Portal. 

Applications for the following types of developments will be advertised on the NSW Planning Portal website.

• major community or public facilities whether publicly or privately owned (including hospitals, libraries, schools, universities, sports and entertainment facilities)

• major development on Council owned or controlled land

• major shopping and retail centre

• major transport infrastructure, interchanges and transport depots

• hotels, taverns, licensed clubs and places of public entertainment

• caravan parks, mobile home parks and manufactured home estates

• places of assembly and reception centres

• churches or similar places of worship

• neighbourhood centres

• the demolition of a heritage item

• the demolition of a building or work within a heritage conservation area

• the use of a building or land which is a heritage item

• any development application accompanied by a Species Impact Statement

• commercial water based activities

• subdivision of land into 50 or more allotments

• major tourist facilities

• residential flat buildings

• serviced apartments

• commercial stock and sale yards 

Development applications that will not be notified include the following:

1. Works in any zone involving alterations to an existing approved building which will not result in changes to the height, elevations or façade of the existing building;
2. Development, which in the opinion of Council will not detrimentally affect the amenity of persons on adjoining and neighbouring land;
3. Unless assessed as likely to detrimentally affect the amenity of persons on adjoining and neighbouring land, the following development will not be notified:
   
   • Rural agricultural land use activities (except intensive livestock agriculture) and buildings permissible within RU1, RU2, RU3 and RU4 zones;
   • Advertising signs (except illuminated signs);
   • Demolition of buildings (except the demolition of buildings or work within a heritage conservation area);
   • Industrial development within business and industrial zones (except where the site adjoins R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, or RU5 zoned land);
   • Single storey residential development on land having a slope of not greater than 5 per cent and where the development is compliant with the relevant provisions of the relevant Local Environmental Plan and Development Control Plan;
   • Re-cladding of roofs and walls of existing approved buildings, but only where non-reflective materials are used;
   • Boundary adjustments;
   • Strata subdivisions

Where an application is amended during assessment, the application will be re-notified in the same manner as the original development application unless Council is of the opinion that the amended, substituted or later application differs only in minor respects from the original application.

Modifications involving minor error, mis-description or miscalculation (Section 4.55(1)): there are no advertising or notification requirements for minor modifications.

Modifications involving minimal environmental impact (Section 4.55(1A)): modifications, which in the opinion of Council will not detrimentally affect the amenity of persons on adjoining or neighbouring land, do not have to be notified.

Other modifications (Section 4.55(2)): all development applications for other modifications will be notified in the same manner as the original development application.