Plan with Confidence in New South Wales
Free guides and AI tools covering NSW LEPs, SEPPs, zones, DAs, CDCs and exempt development. Backed by a friendly partner consultancy for projects that need a planner's eye on them.
NSW partner consultancy
Town Planning Online doesn't service NSW directly. For NSW projects we work with a partner firm with local expertise. Free initial consultation, same standard of advice.
Talk to the NSW partnerDo I Need Development Consent?
NSW-specific decision tree. Walk through your project and find out whether you need a DA, can use a CDC, or qualify for exempt development.
Talk to a NSW Planner
For complex matters where automated tools aren't enough — DAs, modifications, court appeals, rezonings. Send us your enquiry — we'll triage and refer to a NSW-licensed planner where required.
Get a Free NSW Property Planning Report
The NSW Planning Portal Spatial Viewer is the NSW equivalent of Victoria's VicPlan. Search your address and see every land use zone, height-of-buildings limit, FSR, lot size and overlay mapped to your property — at no cost. It's the first thing any planner will check.
For the authoritative council-issued list of every instrument affecting your property, also order a Section 10.7 planning certificate from your council via Service NSW.
What the Spatial Viewer shows you
- Land use zone (R1-R5, E1-E5, RU, MU, SP, RE, C, W)
- Height of Buildings (HOB) and FSR maps
- Minimum lot size for the parcel
- Heritage items and conservation areas
- Bushfire-prone, flood-affected, acid sulfate land
- Foreshore building lines and SEPPs that apply
NSW Planning Guides
Everything you need to understand the planning controls that apply to your NSW property.
Do I Need Development Consent?
NSW-specific permit checker. Find out whether you need a DA, can use a CDC, or fall under exempt development.
Housing Code Compliance Check
Will your single-dwelling plans qualify for the 20-day CDC pathway? Automated check against every standard in the Codes SEPP Housing Code.
Dual Occupancy / LRHDC Check
Dual occupancy, manor house and multi-dwelling proposals. CDC pathway via the LRHDC plus DA pathway via LEP/DCP, with the LMR Stage 1 cl 166 override factored in.
Apartment Design Guide Check
Residential Flat Buildings (3+ storeys / 4+ apartments). Every ADG criterion + the 9 Schedule 9 design principles + the cl 147 Housing SEPP gate. SEPP 65 is now Housing SEPP Ch 4 — we're across it.
Granny Flat Check ($19)
Pre-lodgement check for secondary dwelling DAs. Housing SEPP Schedule 1, BASIX cross-check, council DCP. Beats the post-2024 SoE Order refusal trap that catches owner-builders.
Signage Check ($19)
Pre-lodgement check for NSW signage DAs. Industry & Employment SEPP, LEP zone permissibility, cl 5.10 heritage, council DCP signage chapter, plus the Roads Act gotcha for awnings.
Change of Use Check ($19)
Pre-lease / pre-lodgement check for NSW change of use DAs. LEP Land Use Table use definition matching, Codes SEPP cl 5A.6 CDC pathway, BCA Class change, and the licence stack.
Swimming Pool Check ($19)
Pre-lodgement check for pool DAs. Codes SEPP exempt/CDC pathway, AS 1926 fencing, geotech and tree TPZ triggers, BASIX, plant noise, NSW Swimming Pool Register.
Property Snapshot ($19)
Upload a free Spatial Viewer report. Get an instant plain-English summary of zone, height, FSR, applicable SEPPs, hazards and dwelling yield estimate. Pre-purchase due diligence in one report.
AI Planning Report ($39)
Mid-tier flagship. Property data + reform overlays + dwelling yield + pathway analysis + unlimited AI follow-up grounded in your specific property's planning controls. Mirrors the proven VIC AI Planning Report.
Title Search (from $35)
Title, Plan of Subdivision, 88B Instrument bundles for NSW DAs. Full Planning Pack $105 covers everything council expects. Add the AI Restrictions Review for plain-English covenant interpretation.
NSW Planning Zones
Standard Instrument LEP zones — R, E, IN, RU, C, SP, RE and W zones explained, including the 2022 Employment Zones reform.
SEPPs & LEP Overlays
State Environmental Planning Policies (Housing SEPP, Resilience and Hazards, Apartment Design Guide / SEPP 65) plus heritage and conservation controls.
DA, CDC & Exempt Development
The three NSW pathways for development consent — and how to figure out which one your project fits.
NSW Planning, In NSW Terms
NSW and Victoria use different planning frameworks. If you've worked with Victorian planning before, here's a quick translation guide:
| Concept | Victoria | New South Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Statutory planning instrument | Planning Scheme (VPP + local) | LEP — Local Environmental Plan |
| Detailed development controls | Particular provisions (Cl 52, 54, 55, 58) | DCP — Development Control Plan |
| State-level policy | VPP / PPF | SEPPs — State Environmental Planning Policies |
| Permit / consent | Planning Permit | DA (Development Application) or CDC |
| No-permit pathway | Section 1 use, Cl 62.02 exemptions | Exempt Development (Codes SEPP) |
| Tribunal | VCAT | LEC — Land and Environment Court |
| Property report | VicPlan PPR | Section 10.7 Planning Certificate |
| Title restrictions | Covenants, easements, S173 | Covenants, easements, 88B Instruments, 88E covenants |
NSW Planning FAQs
Common questions about development consent in NSW
What's a DA in NSW and when do I need one?
What's the difference between a DA and a CDC?
What's a Section 10.7 planning certificate?
What's the difference between an LEP and a DCP?
Do I need a planner if I'm doing exempt development?
Ready to Start Your NSW Project?
Use the free permit checker for a quick answer, ask the AI assistant any planning question, or speak to a NSW planner for the complex stuff.
Working in Victoria instead? Switch to the Victorian site