Resources

NSW Planning Guides

Plain-English guides to development applications, planning proposals and the rezoning process — plus what the data actually shows about how long each council takes. Written for developers, investors, planners, and architects.

Process
How the NSW DA Process Works
What a development application is, what goes in the package, how notification and assessment work, and what happens at determination.
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Data
How Long Does a DA Take in NSW?
Median determination times for every NSW council, measured across 40,000+ determined applications — from 7 days to 127.
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Pathways
CDC or DA?
Complying development is determined in a median of 4 days; a development application takes 56. What separates them and how to choose.
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Process
How NSW Planning Proposals Work
The full lifecycle from Pre-Exhibition to Made — what happens at each stage, who's involved, and how long it takes.
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Key Milestone
Gateway Determination in NSW
What gateway determination is, how the Department assesses proposals, and why it's the most important signal in the planning process.
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Fundamentals
NSW Rezoning Explained
What rezoning is, the most common zone transitions, who can apply, what makes a rezoning succeed, and realistic timelines.
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State Policy
NSW TOD Precincts Explained
The Transport Oriented Development SEPP, which stations are covered, what development is permitted, and what it means for planning activity.
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Due Diligence
How to Read a NSW Planning Proposal
What documents are in a proposal package, what to look for quickly, and the key signals that indicate probability of success.
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Track every NSW planning proposal in one place.
4,800+ proposals across 128 councils — searchable, with AI summaries, zone data, and stage change alerts.
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