Complying development can be approved in as little as 20 days, while the state's target for a straightforward development application is 40 days. Real council averages swing from single digits to more than 200 days. Check the council league table for your council's record and the NSW Planning Portal for your lodgement status.
TL;DR:
- The 2024–25 league table records averages from 5 days at some regional councils to over 200 days at some metropolitan councils.
- Council averages can mislead because reported figures may exclude internal pauses, while a low application count can make a few files shift the average sharply.
- The DA clock usually starts when fees are paid or an invoice is issued; councils have 14 days to invoice or reject a lodgement.
- A valid information request pauses the assessment clock, but a request issued after the permitted window is legally ineffective and can be challenged.
- Complete, checked documentation and a prelodgement meeting can prevent avoidable pauses; choose CDC only when the site and work qualify.
Table of Contents
- Typical timelines at a glance: CDC versus DA
- Why processing times vary between councils
- How the assessment clock works: lodgement, stop the clock, deemed refusal and appeals
- How to reduce delays: pre-lodgement, documentation and CDC where it fits
- Where to check live council performance and official guidance
- SiteScope perspective: how early feasibility reduces timeline risk
- Author perspective: planning assumptions to budget into NSW projects
- How we help you estimate approval timelines and lower DA risk
- FAQ
- Sources
Typical timelines at a glance: CDC versus DA
A single statewide number hides more than it tells you. What you can plan around is the pathway you qualify for and the council that will assess it.
- Complying development (CDC): approvals can be issued in as little as 20 days, and the NSW Housing Pattern Book route can be quicker, at about 10 days, according to the Department of Planning.
- Development application (DA): the assessment target for a straightforward application is 40 days, but actual times often exceed it depending on council and project complexity.
- Major or regionally significant projects: their assessment timelines can differ, so check the applicable pathway and requirements.
- Spread between councils: the state dashboard lets you compare by council and development type, and the gap is wide enough that two neighbouring projects can face very different waits.
The league table for 2024–25 shows averages from as low as 5 days in some regional councils to over 200 days in some metropolitan councils. That is why you should read your own council's line, not a headline average.
Independent analysis points the same way. Some Greater Sydney councils report averages under 100 days while others sit above 200, which flows straight into renovation timelines of three to five months for smaller works and longer for major changes.
Why processing times vary between councils
Councils are not all doing the same job with the same tools. Several system and reporting factors explain the spread, and knowing them helps you interpret a council's number rather than just reacting to it.
- Resourcing and systems: staffing levels and legacy IT platforms shape how quickly files move. Councils have publicly pointed to resourcing, IT failures and historic backlogs when explaining slower figures.
- Competing workloads: strategic projects such as masterplans and biodiversity work can pull assessment staff away from day to day applications.
- Reporting artefacts: league table figures are gross approval timeframes and may exclude some internal pauses, so treat them as a baseline. A council with very few applications can also see its average swing on a handful of files.
- Different methods: some councils work through defects with applicants rather than rejecting an application outright, which keeps the file alive but lengthens the visible timeline.
- Triggers on your site: referrals to concurrence or approval bodies, public exhibition, and heritage or environmental constraints add steps that a simple alteration never meets.
Pro Tip: Read the league table for the development type you are lodging, not the council's overall average. A council that is quick on dwelling alterations can still be slow on multi-dwelling housing.
Taken together, these factors mean the number on the dashboard is a starting point. Your own site constraints decide whether you land near the average or well beyond it.
How the assessment clock works: lodgement, stop the clock, deemed refusal and appeals
The assessment clock affects how an application is processed, so it pays to understand when it starts and stops. Under the EP&A Regulations, an application is lodged when fees are paid or an invoice is issued, and deemed refusal rights arise if the council fails to determine within the assessment period.
- Lodge online. DAs go through the NSW Planning Portal, and councils must check lodgement and issue an invoice within 14 days or reject the application.
- Pay the invoice. The clock usually starts when fees are paid or the invoice is issued, so a late invoice is a late start.
- Expect a possible information request. A valid request pauses the assessment and those days are excluded from the period. A request issued after the permitted window is out of time and legally ineffective, and you can challenge it.
- Check the effect of amendments. Changes to an application may affect its assessment timeline, so seek advice before making piecemeal changes.
- Consider deemed refusal. If the application remains undetermined, seek legal advice about your options.
If a council fails to issue an invoice within 14 days, applicants can commence Class 4 proceedings in the Land and Environment Court to compel the council to issue it.
That is the position set out by Mills Oakley. Court proceedings can extend determinations materially beyond council timelines, so seek legal advice before deciding how to proceed. If you think an invoice or information request is out of time, get legal advice before you act.
How to reduce delays: pre-lodgement, documentation and CDC where it fits
Most avoidable delay comes from an incomplete lodgement. The Department of Planning advises that clear, complete documentation lodged through the Planning Portal is the most effective way to avoid pauses that stop the clock and improve the chance of meeting the target on straightforward applications.
- Book a pre-lodgement meeting and ask the council what it will want to see for your site and development type.
- Lodge a full, checked package through the portal rather than planning to fill gaps later.
- Use the CDC pathway with an accredited certifier where the work is eligible and low risk. Our NSW CDC checklist covers the lodgement traps that catch people out.
- Answer information requests quickly and precisely, and agree a reasonable response period where you need specialist input.
- Resolve the basics first: zoning and zoning maps, plus technical reports such as stormwater, arborist and heritage, and any referral triggers on the site.
Pro Tip: Treat the information request as a checklist, not a conversation. Answer every point in one submission, so the council has nothing left to pause on.
Delay also costs money, not just time. If you are carrying finance, model the holding costs with our development cash flow guide before you commit to a timeline.
Where to check live council performance and official guidance
Use the official sources before you trust any rule of thumb, including ours. The state's dashboard captures council performance monthly and can be filtered by council and region.
- Council league table: compare average lodgement and assessment days by council and development type.
- NSW Planning Portal: track your lodgement and read the complying development guidance.
- Development Assessment Best Practice Guide: it sets out recommended timelines and internal processes aimed at determination within 40 days, including preliminary assessment between days 6 and 15 and final assessment between days 15 and 30.
- EP&A Regulations: the legal source for how lodgement, assessment periods and deemed refusal work.
Read the council's trend over several months rather than a single figure, because one slow or fast month can reflect a few large files.
SiteScope perspective: how early feasibility reduces timeline risk
Most information requests trace back to something knowable before lodgement. We run early constraint checks and scenario analysis so surprises surface before the clock starts. For complex sites, our founder-reviewed report or concierge review flags the likely pathway, CDC or DA, and the technical reports you will need. Our guide to a feasibility report reviewers can trust shows what good output looks like.
Author perspective: planning assumptions to budget into NSW projects
I would budget conservatively: allow for variation in CDC and DA timelines, depending on the council and project. Add contingency for referrals and seek advice about possible appeal options where the site is sensitive. Watch your council's league table trend, not one good month.
— Ashton
How we help you estimate approval timelines and lower DA risk
Pick the product that matches your site, then check it against your council's league table line.
- Quick Scan: an initial zoning and constraints check.
- Automated Report: a fast feasibility view for straightforward sites.
- Founder-Reviewed Report: human review for higher-risk sites.
- Development Concierge: in-person support for complex projects.
Request a report for your site and we will show you what to expect before you lodge.
FAQ
How long does a development approval last in NSW?
It depends on the consent, and the consent itself sets the lapse date. Check your determination notice for the date and conditions, and ask your council or a planner before relying on an extension.
How do I get a subdivision certificate in NSW?
A subdivision certificate is a separate step after the consent and works are complete. Your council or an accredited certifier assesses it, so confirm the documents required with them before you book.
When did the NSW Planning Portal start?
We do not cite a launch date here. What matters now is that DAs must be lodged online through the portal.
Is a carport exempt from development in NSW?
Some carports can be exempt or fall under complying development, but it depends on size, location and site constraints. Confirm with your council or an accredited certifier, using the CDC guidance.