DA submission guide
Please note this page relates to Development Application (DA) submissions only. To express a view on other matters, visit Council’s Have Your Say website. |
A submission is a formal letter delivered to Council by post or email about a Development Application (DA) expressing support or objection to the proposal.
Any person can make a submission provided it is in writing and it is made prior to the end of the notification period. All submissions will be considered in the assessment process and by the determination body. There is no cost to make a submission.
Submissions must:
- Be in writing.
- Indicate who is making the submission, or on whose behalf it is being made, the relevant address, contact phone number and email address.
- If it is an objection, it should identify the reasons for the objection and any impacts that the objector says will arise from the proposal. It does not need to be prepared by an expert and does not need to assess the DA against Council's development controls or relevant legislation.
- If there is a satisfactory solution to an impact, it should outline this.
- It should only relate to ‘planning matters’ that are capable of being considered under the relevant legislation. This does not include matters such as personal issues related to the land owner, past behaviours or disputes with a neighbour or property (de)valuation.
- It should be succinct, clear and easy to understand.
A template is available for those unsure how to structure their submission, however it is not a requirement to use the template.
Submissions should be emailed to dasubmissions@waverley.nsw.gov.au OR posted to The General Manager, PO Box 9, Bondi Junction 1355. Submissions that are provided by email will receive an automatic reply that acknowledges receipt.
Your submission, including your personal information, is not confidential and may be viewed and copied by, or provided electronically to, members of the public under the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 (GIPA Act) on request. Submissions will not be published on Council’s DA Tracker website.
The supply of your personal information is voluntary. However, if you do not provide your contact details, Council may be unable to give proper consideration to your submission, or to contact you or update you about your submission.
You are entitled to access and correct the information you provide. Questions concerning privacy or the use and disclosure of your personal information should be referred to governance@waverley.nsw.gov.au.
Frequently Asked Questions
Submissions can be provided in the form of an email or handwritten letter. Waverley Council provides a template to assist drafting a submission. The template is a guide only and residents can use another format.
There is no need to repeat the assessment of the proposal or history of the application. The submission should be succinct and indicate why you support or oppose the DA. You may wish to view the submission template for more information about issues you could include.
The length of the submission will not determine the outcome of the DA assessment.
Visit the DA Tracker page for an explanation of what the documents that may be published as part of a DA illustrate.
Waverley Council will acknowledge the submission has been received. As part of the assessment process, all submissions will be considered. Waverley Council will not provide a specific response to concerns raised in individual submissions as these will be addressed in the assessment report.
To track the status of the DA, use the DA Tracking tool.
Council considers all submissions received in the assessment of a DA. Submissions alone cannot determine the outcome of a DA.
All DAs are assessed on merit and there are a range of legislative instruments and other matters which Waverley Council must take into consideration when assessing a DA. The legislation which Council must consider is determined by the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979, Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulation 2021, State Environmental and Planning Policies, and the Local Government Act 1993, in addition, the Local Environmental Plan, the Development Control Plan and Policies set the controls for the DAs.
The number of submissions made objecting or those made in support to a DA will not determine the outcome of the DA assessment.
However, the number of unique submissions does have a bearing on whether a matter is determined under senior management delegation or by the Waverley Local Planning Panel. If there are 10 or more unique submissions, the DA must be determined by the Waverley Local Planning Panel.
A DA may be amended or varied by the applicant (with the agreement of Council officers) before the application is determined. For amendments prior to determination of an application, Council may renotify:
- Those who made submissions on the original application. Note: If the amendments have a lesser or the same effect as the original application (e.g. internal changes or external changes which cannot be seen from the correspondents’ property) then re-notification is not required and submissions on the original application will be considered in the assessment.
- Any other persons who own adjoining or neighbouring land (including those who were previously notified of the application) who may, in the opinion of Council, be further detrimentally affected by the proposed amendments.
Duty Planner
Council has a Duty Planner available for general enquiries relating to the planning process, policies and lodgement requirements. The Duty Officer is not able to provide detailed planning advice or high level planning information.
Subscribe to Have Your Say updates to be notified of major DAs.
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