Formal pre-lodgement advice

• We offer free written advice in response to preliminary development proposals for new single dwelling houses, and alterations and additions to existing houses, if the proposed or existing site is:
  • Not located between a public road frontage and the waterfront; and
  • Not on flood-prone land.
• No meeting with Council officers takes place.  You will be given a contact name should you have any queries after receiving the advice.

To seek this advice, please fill out this form and then email it to us.

• We offer pre-lodgement advice, with a fee payable, for all aspects of applications which are not covered by the free planning advice service.
• Council officers will meet with you and provide written advice.
• This service gives you feedback on the technical and merit aspects of a development proposal. Staff will look at your plans and documents, then give you advice on the best way forward.
• A pre-lodgement meeting is for discussion and clarification purposes only and may not identify all possible issues. It is not intended to pre-empt a final decision in relation to a development application.
• Additional pre-lodgement meetings may be required at a later time, if considered necessary. This usually occurs with large, complex proposals and allows additional or revised information and documentation to be reviewed prior to submission of the DA.
• To seek this advice, please fill out this form.
• If your proposal is for a residential flat building it is advisable that you also seek preliminary feedback from council’s Design Review Panel as listed below.  Find out more information about this panel on this page.
• A fee applies for this service, depending on the cost of works. Find out the relevant fee in this document. The fee is payable before any advice meetings take place.

• This service is available to potential applicants who are seeking advice which is limited to stormwater and flooding issues.
• Council’s development engineers will meet with you and then provide written advice.
• To seek this advice, please fill out this form.
• A $528 fee applies for this service (including GST). The fee is payable before any advice meetings take place.

• The Design Review Panel is an independent advisory body that considers the architectural and design merits of applications for larger developments, before determination. Find out more information about the panel here.
• Applicants can also choose to seek advice from the panel before submitting their development application.
• Following this consultation, applicants will be provided with written advice.
• Undertaking this step may assist to streamline the assessment process, by allowing applicants to get an early understanding of the panel’s views, before the assessment and determination stage.
• Further information about seeking this advice service is available at this link.
• If using this service, it is recommended that you also consider seeking paid planning advice, so that all aspects of a proposal (not just architecture and design) are considered before lodgement.
• A $3,996 fee (including GST) applies for this service. The fee is payable before any advice meetings take place.