From 30 November 2020, the NSW Planning Portal will become the required way to electronically lodge a DA with Yass Valley Council. For more information please click here.

When you have filled out all the required forms you can lodge your application. A completed DA will generally include:

• Completed forms
• Any necessary specialist reports.
• All matters required for a DA as listed in the EP&A Regulation (Schedule 1, Part 1); and
• The required fees.

More information on the necessary documentation can be found on our common application types page.

Lodgement can be made:

• Over the counter - 209 Comur Street, Yass
• Via the Planning Portal 
• Post - PO Box 6 YASS NSW 2582

Lodgement is the formal start of the DA process. We will check that all the information has been provided and calculate the relevant fees. If the information you provide is adequate and when the fees have been paid, the application will be ‘lodged’ and the assessment process started. If the information is inadequate, we may not lodge the application or could ‘stop the clock’ on the assessment until the required information is provided.

It is your responsibility to provide all the required information and to make sure your DA provides enough detail to enable us to make a decision. Getting this right will save you time and money.

Once your DA is lodged, formal neighbour notification may occur. Notification can take a number of forms:

• Individual letters to local residents.
• On-site notice.
• Advertisement on our website and Facebook page.
• Advertisement in the local newspaper and community publications.

Neighbour notification is a key element in the DA process. Raising issues can be a positive, value adding exercise as all stakeholders work together for a mutually beneficial outcome. During the neighbour notification, the plans and application are made available on our website and at the Council office.

We have internal experts who will comment on different aspects of the development.

Some government agencies have special roles to provide comment or agreement/approval within their areas of expertise. This is a consultation or concurrence. Some examples include the consultation with the NSW Rural Fire Service if your property is on bush fire prone land or the Office of Environment & Heritage if your proposal affects biodiversity.

An assessment officer will be allocated to you and they will be your key point of contact. The assessment officer will contact you to acknowledge receipt of the application and provide you regular updates during the assessment.

Our resources and the assessment officer’s time is best spent assessing your application. We usually have a lot of applications to assess and frequent calls will slow this process. It’s recommended that you wait for your assessment officer to contact you. If there is a significant issue or need for clarification, your assessment officer will contact you.

Key points of contact will be:

• Initial acknowledgement.
• Site inspection.
• Request for additional information.
• Notice of the decision.

Remember if you have engaged someone else to be the applicant on your behalf then we will contact them, not you. In some instances we may also request to speak to a member of your specialist team.

Processing time is directly related to the complexity of your development and the quality of information supplied to us. We will aim to determine straightforward DAs within 40 days if all the required information has been included.