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Complying Development

Complying Development Certificates

With the introduction of the NSW Government's State Environmental Planning Policy (Exempt and Complying Development Codes) 2008 on 27 February 2009, a variety of developments including one and two-storey dwelling houses can now be approved as Complying Development.

To provide you with certainty that your proposal can be approved as a Complying Development, you can lodge an Application for Written Advice on Complying or Exempt Development and we will provide written confirmation to you before you lodge your formal Complying Development Certificate (CDC) Application. 

The current fee for this written advice can be found on Council's Schedule of Fees and Charges.

Lodging your application with Council

Once it has been established that your site is suitable for Complying Development, you can make application for a CDC. Your CDC will be issued by Council within the following time frames subject to all required information and plans being submitted through the NSW Planning Portal: planningportal.nsw.gov.au/onlinecdc

Approval time frames:

  • 20 days for works associated with additions to or construction of new residential development
  • 10 days for all other works.

The Complying Development Checklist is designed to minimise delays, by helping you to fully complete your application form and to prepare and provide all the necessary plans and documentation. 

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 Accredited Certifiers. Council will acknowledge the submission of the application at which point you will be advised of the assessing officer's name and direct contact details. 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 to be sent via mail or collected at our Customer Service Centre.

Please note that you may need to pay bonds and levies (see below) prior to the release of the CDC and associated documentation.

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 Certification Team provide a wide variety of services including Building Code of Australia advice and building inspection services and you can appoint Council as your PCA. See the Building certification/PCA section of the web page for more information.

Once you have collected your approved CDC and stamped plans and appointed Council as your PCA, you are ready to start building.

Complying Development Fees

Council has formulated its fees to reflect industry practice. We believe you will find our fees are cost-effective and competitive. Please refer to Council's Schedule of Fees and Charges for current rates.

In addition to the above fees, you will also be required to pay a Damage Deposit in accordance with Council's Schedule of Fees and Charges. Your Damage Deposit is refunded once your building works are complete and subject to no damage being caused to Council's infrastructure, (eg., footpaths, kerbs and gutter etc.) as a result of the construction works. Depending on the type and cost of works, a Section 94 Development Contribution or Section 94A levy may apply.

The City of Canada Bay Council has adopted a Section 94 or Section 94A Contributions Plan. These plans allow funds to be raised from 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 $200,001 1%