Customer Service Charter for development applicants

We are committed to providing a fair, transparent and timely development assessment service to applicants.

We will:

• Either through our website, or verbally or in writing, provide clear advice on relevant development standards, controls and guidelines.
• Encourage the use of pre-lodgement services and meetings, so we can provide you with early guidance and help ensure your application is well-prepared prior to formal submission.
• Acknowledge and respond to inquiries within two business days.
• Assess development applications in an efficient manner and aim to achieve, or better, legislative timeframes.
• Deliver proactive communication, including keeping you informed of your application’s progress. This would include, as a minimum, contacting you when the application is allocated to an assessing officer, after a preliminary review and at determination.

At all times, we will treat you professionally and respectfully, regardless of the complexity or nature of the application.

The development application process is applicant-driven, meaning the responsibility for the design and preparation of all documentation lies with you.

As such, we would expect you:

• Take advantage of our pre-lodgement services
• Utilise the services of a qualified professional, such as a planning consultant, to prepare and co-ordinate your development application and, if necessary, assemble the right team of experts and reports
• Understand your site, including ensuring site constraints, opportunities and characteristics have been properly identified and have informed your application
• Submit complete and accurate information at the time of lodgement, using our Development Application Lodgement Guide to ensure all requirements are met. Applications must be ‘assessment ready’ at the time of lodgement - that is, complete with all required and relevant information
• Nominate a single point of contact to liaise with our assessment officer, ensuring clear and consistent communication throughout the process
• Avoid excessive contact with assessment officers, as this can delay the process
• If you are an applicant who is representing a client, such as a landowner or developer, keep your client updated about the assessment process (including any issues that have arisen)
• Provide responses to any requests for further information (RFI) within the specified timeframe. In addition, we’d encourage you to make a genuine attempt to resolve the issues raised in the RFI, and discuss any changes with the assessment officer, prior to lodging the RFI response
• Always maintain respectful and courteous communication with our officers.

By meeting these expectations, you can help reduce your application’s processing time and contribute to a more efficient and effective assessment process.

We strongly recommend that applicants take advantage of our pre-lodgement advice services, which are designed to support you prepare high-quality, complete applications.

We offer a range of pre-lodgement advice services, which are tailored to the level of detail and complexity of the proposal.

The more detailed and complete your pre-lodgement submission, the more comprehensive and accurate the advice we can provide. Early engagement with us helps identify potential issues, clarify requirements and supports a smoother and more timely assessment process.

Click here to find out more information on our pre-lodgement services.

We will:

• Regularly review our performance against service standards
• Identify and implement improvements in our processes
• Train our staff to ensure high quality customer service and advice.