DA Assessment Process

After a DA is lodged at Customer Service, it is assigned an identification number. Always use this DA number as a reference whenever you need to contact the Council about your application. The application details are entered on to Council's computer system and recorded on the file. The application is checked for completeness. An Assessment Officer from the Development Assessment Services area of Council will be assigned to process your DA.

Your application is then:

• notified to adjoining neighbours or members of the public likely to be affected
• advertised in the local newspapers
• advertised locally by a sign placed on the street frontage of the property
• some applications may not be notified depending on the nature of the proposal (eg: internal work) and further information regarding notification requirements are contained within Parramatta Council’s Notification Policy

The application is advertised for a 2 week period, during which Council will accept submissions from the public. The officer assessing the application will decide whether the proposal follows Council's planning controls, whether the plans should be amended and whether to recommend approval of the application by the Council. Submissions regarding the development are taken into account at this stage.

After the notification period is over an Assessment Officer will complete your DA assesment. This process will take account of statutory requirements, Council's adopted codes and policies and any submissions from the public that may have been received.

If all submissions have been considered and resolved, and your application generally complies with Council's development standards it may be approved without going to a Council meeting. Otherwise applications may be referred to a Council meeting for a decision. Usually applications are decided by a meeting of Councillors but if they need more information to come to a decision, then the application may become a deferred item a site meeting or in-house meeting of the parties involved takes place. If so, Councillors can inspect the site, meet with any objectors and give you the opportunity to describe the application.

Council meetings have full power to make decisions regarding all Development Applications which are considered. The applicant will receive a letter from the Council within approximately one week of the decision being made. If the DA has been approved the letter will include a CD ROM containing development consent and stamp approved plans or direction to pick up the consent and stamped plans from Council's Customer Service Centre (monies may need to be paid at this time), if the application has been refused, the determination will be posted to the applicant. All interested parties that lodged a submission during the assessment period will receive a letter advising them of the determination.