Development Application Process in Queensland: Step by Step
A development application (DA) is the formal request to a council, or in some cases the State, for approval to carry out development on land. In Queensland that means building work, a material change of use (such as a new dual occupancy, childcare centre or office), or reconfiguring a lot (a subdivision). The process runs in a set order: check the planning rules, prepare the application, lodge it, respond to any information request, go through notification if it applies, then receive a decision. This guide walks through each stage the way we handle them for Brisbane and South East Queensland clients.
TL;DR
Queensland’s formal DA process has five parts: application, referral, information request, public notification and decision. Not every application goes through all five.
Pre-lodgement discussion is voluntary, but councils recommend it because it flags the planning provisions and information your application will need.
A complete, assessment-ready application is the best protection against delays, because it limits information requests.
Fees, assessment level and timeframes depend on the council and the site’s zone and overlays, so check your own council’s current schedule.
No planner can guarantee approval. A well-prepared application gives you the best chance of a clear, timely decision.
Table of Contents
What a development application is, and who decides it
A development application is the legislative mechanism for receiving approval for development on a property. The body that decides it is called the assessment manager. For most applications in a given area that is the local council, such as Brisbane City Council, Moreton Bay Regional Council, Logan City Council or Ipswich City Council. Ipswich Council, for example, describes itself as assessment manager for most applications in its area.
There are exceptions. Priority Development Areas (PDAs) are the main one. Each PDA is subject to a development scheme that controls land use and infrastructure planning and overrides local government planning instruments for land within the PDA. If your site sits in a PDA, the applicant deals with Economic Development Queensland, not the council, and the timeframes and rules differ.
The first job on any project is therefore to confirm who assesses the site, and what the planning scheme says about it.
Step 1: Check the planning rules for your site
Before a plan is drawn, find out what the scheme allows. For a Brisbane site that means City Plan 2014; elsewhere it is the local planning scheme. You are looking for four things:
The zone. It sets which uses are expected on the land.
Overlays. Flooding, bushfire, character, biodiversity, airport noise and similar overlays add requirements.
The level of assessment. Code assessable applications are measured against specific codes. Impact assessable applications are assessed more broadly and require public notification.
Infrastructure. Sewer, water, stormwater and road access can decide whether a project works at all.
Zone and overlays change what you need even for the same project type. Brisbane notes that a dual occupancy’s assessment requirements may differ depending on the zone, neighbourhood plan area or overlays.
Servicing is where many small projects stumble. A simple-looking one-into-two lot split can turn on a sewer line running through the back of the lot. We unpack one real example in our Logan 1 into 2 lot subdivision sewer case.
Step 2: Talk to council before you lodge (pre-lodgement)
Pre-lodgement is voluntary. Ipswich Council nonetheless recommends discussing the proposal before lodging so that the applicable planning provisions and required information are identified early. Other councils offer similar meetings.
Go in with a concept plan, the lot details, and a clear list of questions. The aim is not to get a promise from the officer, because officers cannot pre-judge a formal decision. It is to find out which codes apply, whether specialist reports will be needed, and whether referral to a State agency is likely.
Step 3: Prepare the application
This is the stage that most affects how smoothly the rest goes. An assessment-ready application with all required information can help avoid additional information requests and promote an efficient process. That guidance comes from New South Wales, but the principle holds in Queensland too.
What goes in depends on the project. As a rough guide:
Project type | Typical documents |
Dual occupancy or duplex | Site plan, floor plans, elevations, landscaping, stormwater and access details, planning report addressing the codes |
Townhouses | The above plus shadow and streetscape analysis, waste and parking layouts, often engineering and traffic input |
Subdivision (reconfiguring a lot) | Proposed lot layout plan, survey, servicing and earthworks advice, planning report |
Commercial (childcare, health care, office, service station) | Detailed use plans, traffic and parking assessment, acoustic or other technical reports, planning report |
A New South Wales checklist shows the pattern for larger proposals: site and survey plans, floor plans and elevations, stormwater plans, and shadow diagrams for dual occupancies, multi-residential, mixed-use and larger commercial development. Queensland lists differ in detail, but the more intensive the use, the heavier the documentation.
The planning report is the core document. It describes the proposal, identifies the assessment level, and addresses each relevant code, explaining how the design complies or why a variation is justified on its merits. A report that argues a point clearly saves the assessing officer from having to ask.
Step 4: Lodge the application
Lodgement means submitting the application form, owner’s consent where you are not the owner, plans, reports and the fee to the assessment manager. Most Queensland councils take applications online through their portal or through the State’s online planning system. Check your council’s lodgement page for the current format, because file requirements and naming conventions vary.
The fee is the part people ask about first. Brisbane City Council’s 2025-26 schedule uses a points-based system in which each point is valued at $143. The number of points depends on the type and scale of the application, so a simple change is far cheaper than a multi-lot subdivision or a commercial use. Other councils set their own schedules and update them each financial year, so use the current one for your site. Fees paid to council are separate from consultant fees, survey, engineering and any infrastructure charges that apply later.
Step 5: Confirmation, referral and information requests
After lodgement the assessment manager checks that the application is properly made. Then the formal stages that apply to your project begin.
Referral. Some applications must be sent to a State or other referral agency, for example because of a State-controlled road or a flood or environmental trigger. Referral agency responses must be considered by the assessment manager when it makes the decision.
Information request. If the council needs more material, it issues an information request. In Brisbane, council may issue one within 10 business days after the confirmation period, and applicants generally have three months to respond. Treat the request as a checklist. Answer every item, in one package, with the supporting reports attached. A partial or vague response tends to invite a second round.
Step 6: Public notification
Notification is not required for every application. It is required for impact assessable applications and applications involving a variation request. In Brisbane, a dual occupancy can be code or impact assessable, and impact assessment requires public notification.
During notification, notices go to neighbours and a sign is placed on the site. Neighbours may make submissions, and the assessment manager must consider them. It helps to speak to neighbours early. Concerns about privacy, overlooking, traffic and noise are far easier to address in the design than after a submission is lodged.
Step 7: Assessment and decision
The assessment manager weighs the proposal against the planning scheme, any referral responses and any submissions. It can approve the application, approve it with conditions, or refuse it. Most approvals carry conditions covering matters such as access, stormwater, landscaping and servicing, so read them closely.
Timeframes depend on the pathway and how many times the clock stops for information:
Brisbane offers RiskSMART express assessment for low-risk, decision-ready applications, with a decision within 10 business days.
For PDAs, the Economic Development Act 2012 sets a 40 business day statutory timeframe for deciding development applications.
For standard council applications, the realistic timeline is set by notification, referrals and information requests. Ask your planner for an estimate based on your site and council.
After the decision: appeals and negotiated notices
If you disagree with the decision or a condition, you have options. In Brisbane, an applicant may appeal within 20 business days, or request a negotiated decision notice within 20 business days of suspending the appeal period. A negotiated decision notice lets you ask council to change a condition without starting an appeal. Time limits are strict, so get advice the day you receive the notice.
What if you receive a show cause notice?
A show cause notice is different from a DA decision. It comes from an enforcement authority under the Planning Act 2016 and is dealt with under section 167 of the Act. In plain terms, it tells you the authority believes there may be a development offence or other ground for an enforcement notice, and invites you to explain why it should not take further action.
Typical triggers are work carried out without the required approval, a use that does not match its approval, or a breach of approval conditions. If one lands in your letterbox:
Do not ignore it. The notice states the period you have to respond. Missing it removes your chance to be heard before the authority decides its next step.
Read exactly what is alleged. Identify the property, the work or use, and the approval said to be breached.
Gather the facts. Collect existing approvals, plans, dates of work, and photographs.
Get a town planner, and a planning lawyer where the matter is serious. The response often needs a planning argument, and sometimes a retrospective or amended application is the practical way to resolve it.
We can help with the planning side, including approval changes and compliance applications. Penalties and legal consequences are a matter for a Queensland planning lawyer.
How the process differs by project type
Subdivisions. A subdivision is a reconfiguration of a lot, and the approval is only the start. After works are complete you request plan sealing. In Brisbane that requires a survey plan, the relevant Titles Queensland form, an Urban Utilities connection certificate, evidence that conditions and connections are satisfied, and payment of applicable infrastructure, rates and application charges.
Dual occupancies and duplexes. City Plan 2014 treats a dual occupancy as two dwellings on one lot, or two dwellings on separate lots sharing common property. Assessment level depends on zone and overlays.
Townhouses. Multiple dwelling proposals are generally more complex than a duplex because of the layout of driveways, parking, waste, open space and neighbour impacts, and they often require more technical reports.
Granny flats. In Queensland a granny flat is a secondary dwelling that is subordinate to a main dwelling and cannot be developed by itself. It still needs building approval, and council must be consulted about whether development approval is also required. Since 26 September 2022 it may be rented to anyone, though planning, building and fire-safety approvals still apply. If the second dwelling is not subordinate, it may instead be treated as a dual occupancy, which is a different application.
Commercial projects. Childcare centres, health care facilities, offices, warehouses and service stations usually trigger traffic, parking, noise and servicing assessment. Plumbing and drainage for dual occupancies, multiple dwellings, offices and commercial buildings is treated by Brisbane as work other than a dwelling, and permits may cover civil works, fire services and trade-waste fixtures.
Where applications go wrong
From the applications we see, delays trace back to a handful of causes:
Incomplete material. Missing reports lead to information requests, which stop the clock.
Wrong assessment level assumed. An application planned as code assessable that turns out to be impact assessable adds notification and time.
Servicing surprises. Sewer, water or stormwater constraints found after lodgement.
Design that ignores overlays. Flooding or character requirements discovered late.
No neighbour conversation. Avoidable objections during notification.
Every one of these is cheaper to fix before lodgement than after.
Our perspective: a DA is a project plan, not a form
Most people see the DA as paperwork to get through. We see it as the point where the commercial case for a project is tested. A practical approach starts with the site investigation, before the design is fixed: zone, overlays, servicing, access and the level of assessment. If those answers make a project unviable, it is better to know before you pay for architectural drawings.
We also think the best applications are written for the assessing officer. They answer the questions that will be asked, set out clearly how each code is met, and explain any variation on its merits. That is what technical precision means in practice, and it is what keeps information requests short.
Finally, we are honest about outcomes. Approval is never guaranteed, and anyone who says otherwise is selling something. What good planning does is reduce avoidable risk, shorten avoidable delays and give you a clear view of the pathway from first enquiry to lodgement.
— Jwal
Getting help with your application
Urbanza Town Planners manages development applications across Brisbane and South East Queensland, from initial site investigations through to lodgement. Our services cover subdivisions, dual occupancy, townhouses, apartments, rooming accommodation, service stations, offices and warehouses, commercial projects and special projects. You can check the areas we service and see recent projects, or start with a conversation about your site through our home page.
FAQ
How do I lodge a development application in Queensland?
You lodge it with the assessment manager, usually your local council, through its online portal, with the completed form, owner’s consent, plans, supporting reports and the fee. Check the council’s lodgement page for current file requirements. Confirm first whether your site is in a PDA, because those applications go to Economic Development Queensland.
Do I need pre-lodgement advice?
It is not compulsory, but councils recommend it. It identifies the applicable planning provisions and the information your application needs, which can prevent an information request later.
How much does a development application cost?
It depends on the council and the type of application. Brisbane’s 2025-26 schedule values each fee point at $143, and the number of points depends on the application. Add consultant, survey and engineering costs, plus any infrastructure charges, to get your real budget.
What happens after I submit the application?
The council checks it is properly made, then runs the stages that apply: referral, an information request, public notification and a decision. Not every application goes through all of them. You will receive a decision notice with any conditions and details of your appeal rights.
Sources
Dual occupancy, planning and building requirements, Brisbane City Council
Your guide to the Development Application process, NSW Planning
Development Assessment and Compliance Fees 2025-26, Brisbane City Council
How we assess development applications, Brisbane City Council
RiskSMART express development approvals, Brisbane City Council
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