Planning Approval Process
Council regulates development through the Western Downs Planning Scheme 2017 incorporating Amendment 1, including Reconfiguring a Lot (for example subdivision of lot), Material Change of Use (for example starting a new use on the land or increasing the intensity or scale of an existing use) and Operational Work (for example earthworks).
Development Applications are required to be lodged for Assessable Development (either Code or Impact Assessable development) which is determined by the zoning of the development site, the type of the development and if there are any Planning Overlays that may impact on the level of assessment of the application.
The development assessment process involves the following key stages:
- Confirmation;
- Referral;
- Information Request;
- Public Notification; and
- Decision.
The level of assessment is prescribed within the Table of Assessment of the Western Downs Planning Scheme incorporating Amendment 1. There are two types of assessable development, being Code Assessable development or Impact Assessable development.
Code Assessable Development
Code assessment is the lowest level of assessment and requires Council to assess the application only against relevant assessment benchmarks of the applicable Codes identified within the Table of Assessment of the Western Downs Planning Scheme 2017 incorporating Amendment 1. Code Assessable Applications do not require public notification as part of the development assessment process.
Council generally advises applicants to allow 2 to 3 months for a Code Assessable application to be processed. However, timeframes will vary depending on the quality of the application submitted and if Council needs to issue an Information Request or if the application requires referral as part of the development assessment process.
Council has prepared road maps to development which provides an overview of the development assessment process for Code Assessable development:
Road Map for Code Assessable Development(PDF, 296KB)
Impact Assessable Development
Impact assessment is the highest level of assessment and requires Council's assessment of the application against the entire Western Downs Planning Scheme 2017 incorporating Amendment 1, including the Strategic Plan and relevant Codes. Applicants are also required to undertake the public notification of the application before the application can be decided by Council.
Council generally advises applicants to allow 3 to 6 months for an Impact Assessable application to be processed. However, timeframes will vary depending on the quality of the application submitted, if Council needs to issue an Information Request, if submissions are received during the Public Notification Period, and/or if the application requires referral as part of the development assessment process.
It is further noted that Impact Assessable development may need to be decided at a Council meeting which are held on a monthly basis depending on the nature of the development.
Council has prepared road maps to development that provide an overview of the development assessment process for Impact Assessable development below:
Road Map Impact Assessable Development(PDF, 297KB)
Further information on the development assessment process can be accessed on the State Government's website:
Development Assessment Process