Complying Development Certificates
Application Form
Complying Development Certificate Application Form and Checklist.
With the introduction of the NSW Government's State Environmental Planning Policy (Exempt and Complying Development Codes) 2008 on 27 February 2009, one and two storey dwelling houses, in particular, can now be approved as Complying Development. You have the flexibility to choose Council as your Principal Certifying Authority or a Private Certifier to issue the approval.
Why Choose Council for your Complying Development Certificate?
We are backed by the long-term support and stability of a publicly recognised organisation that employs professionally qualified planners and building surveyors with a wealth of experience in development matters. Our team will provide you with an informative and reliable quality service that is both efficient and cost-effective.
Another benefit of lodging your Complying Development Certificate (CDC) application with Council is that we will provide you with a Section 149(2) Certificate for your Land Based Requirements free of charge. We will deduct the fee for this certificate from the Complying Development Certificate fees, when you lodge your application with Council. This Certificate is necessary whether you obtain your CDC from Council or from a private certifier, and will tell you whether your property is suitable for Complying Development.
Lodging your Application with Council
Once we have ensured that your site is suitable for Complying Development, you can make an application for a Complying Development Certificate. Your CDC can be issued by Council within ten days subject to all required information and plans being submitted to Council with your Complying Development Certificate application form and checklist.
The Complying Development Checklist is designed to minimise delays for you by helping you to fully complete your application form and to prepare and provide all the necessary plans and documentation. Please read both forms carefully. If you have any questions relating to these forms or Complying Development in general, please contact our duty planner on 9911 6555 or call in to our Customer Service Centre at 1a Marlborough Street, Drummoyne for assistance.
Once you have checked all the necessary details on our Checklist, and believe you are ready to lodge your application with us, please contact our Council's Building Services Team on 9911 6407. Council's Accredited Certifier will organise a time for you to come in and go through your application with us to make sure it is complete. One of Council's planners will also attend this meeting with Geoff to assist in the checking process.
After you have Lodged your Application
Once we have checked that your application is complete, we will ensure that your Complying Development application is duly processed by our friendly Customer Service staff. At this stage, your application will be allocated to one of our assessment officers and you will be advised of this officer's name and direct contact details prior to leaving our offices. This Council officer will conduct an inspection of your property, and co-ordinate the finalisation of your application with you.
The processing of your application will then be completed and the plans stamped ready for collection. The assessment officer will contact you and let you know that your Complying Development Certificate is ready for collection. You may need to pay fees such as Damage Deposits and Section 94A levies in order to collect your Certificate and plans - the assessment officer will advise you of these amounts when you are contacted to collect the Certificate.
Complying Development Fees
Council has formulated its fees to reflect industry practice. We believe you will find our fees are cost-effective and competitive with private certifiers performing the same task for you.
| Estimated Cost of Works | Applicable Fees |
| Less than or equal to $50,000 | $400 |
| Between $50,001 and $200,000 | $800 |
| Between $200,001 and $500,000 | $1,400 |
| Between $500,001 and $1 million | $1,800 |
| More than $1 million | $2,500 |
In addition to the above fees, you will also be required to pay a Damage Deposit of $2,000, and a Section 94A levy (see Table below for s94A levies). Your Damage Deposit is refunded once your building works are complete and subject to no damage being caused to Council's infrastructure, eg., footpaths, kerb and gutter etc as a result of the construction works.
The City of Canada Bay Council has adopted a Section 94A Contributions Plan. This Plan allows funds to be raised from approved development applications and Complying Development Certificates. The funds are then used by Council for the construction and improvement of local infrastructure and public facilities.
The current Section 94A levies are as follows:
| Proposed Cost of Development | Maximum Percentage of Levy |
| Up to $100,000 | Nil |
| $100,001 to $200,000 | 0.5% |
| More than $200,000 | 1% |
Note: the above levy and the Damage Deposit are required to be paid regardless of whether your CDC is issued by Council or a private certifier.
When Can You Start Building?
The last step in the process involves the appointment of a Principal Certifying Authority (PCA) to oversee and certify the construction works as they proceed. Council's Building Certification Team provide a wide variety of services including Building Code of Australia advice and building inspection services.
Once you have collected your approved CDC and stamped plans you can then appoint the PCA. At this point you will need to provide evidence to the PCA that you have paid the Damage Deposit, Section 94A levies and Long Service Levy etc and completed any additional forms as listed above, such as the Footpath Damage Report form and your Home Warranty Insurance. You are now ready to start building.