Submitting applications through the NSW Planning Portal
The development application process is changing
On 1 July 2021 the NSW Government introduced a new platform for lodging planning applications.
For most planning approvals you now need to use the NSW Planning Portal to submit and monitor your application.
How does the new process work?
There are five simple steps to getting a planning approval.
Step 1: Pre-submission
The best time to do all your thinking, planning and checking is before you submit anything. For guidance on this process, read our Three key steps to preparing a development application.
You can also ask a question or make a general planning enquiry free of charge by:
- emailing Council at ksc@kempsey.nsw.gov.au at any time
- phoning Council's Customer Service team on 02 6566 3200.
You can leave a message with Customer Service at any time and this will be logged in a register for a call back. A Duty Planner will then phone you back on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday between 9am and 1pm (or occasionally outside of these hours).
We recommend that you email your enquiry where possible, as this is often the fastest and most convenient way to obtain the information you're seeking.
If your enquiry is very complex, a Council Duty Planner will contact you to make a phone appointment or organise a formal pre-lodgement meeting.
At a pre-lodgement meeting, a planning assessment officer reviews all of your documentation. Please note that a charge of $528 applies for this service, which will be refunded as a fee credit when your application is formally lodged.
From 1 July you must lodge your planning application online through the NSW Planning Portal.
Step 2: Submission
Once you have completed your application and gathered digital copies of all the necessary supporting documentation, you submit these online using the NSW Planning Portal.
Please note the NSW Government charges a submission fee for using the NSW Planning Portal.
Step 3: Submission review and application fee
Before any assessment is made, your submission will be checked to confirm that all the supporting documentation has been provided.
When your completed submission is accepted, you will be emailed an acknowledgment by Council. This will include a link to pay your application fees online. The application fee is the fee Council charges for assessing the applications. The fee will include a credit for any pre-lodgement meeting fees you have paid.
If your application does not include all the necessary documentation, the application will be rejected as incomplete, and you will be provided with a list of the missing documentation that would be required for resubmission.
Please note, if your application is rejected, you will need to pay the NSW Government submission fee again on resubmission.
Step 4: Assessment
Once your application fee is paid, your application will be assessed on its merits. This process is coordinated by Council, who will work with you and all other relevant bodies.
You can monitor the status of your assessment in the NSW Planning Portal.
For more information about assessment, see Assessment and approval process.
Step 5: Determination
Following Council assessment, your application will be determined as either approved or refused and you will be notified by email. You will be able to download the relevant documentation via the NSW Planning Portal.
Your questions answered
What planning documents do I need?
The supporting documentation required varies depending on the work you are planning to do and the permission you seek.
Generally speaking, most planning applications will need a Plan Set (site plan, floor plan, elevations) and a Statement of Environmental Effects. The specific documents required are listed in the state government regulations.
Council strongly recommends you seek the assistance of a professional planner.
You can also ask a question or make a general planning enquiry free of charge by:
You can leave a message with Customer Service at any time and this will be logged in a register for a call back. A Duty Planner will then phone you back on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday between 9am and 1pm (or occasionally outside of these hours).
We recommend that you email your enquiry to Council where possible, as this is often the fastest and most convenient way to obtain the information you're seeking.
If your enquiry is very complex, a Council Duty Planner will contact you to make a phone appointment or organise a formal pre-lodgement meeting.
Please note that Council provides general advice free of charge. However, for a formal pre-lodgement meeting where a planning assessment officer reviews all of your documentation, a charge of $528 will apply, which will be refunded as a fee credit when the application is formally lodged.
For more information read our Three key steps to preparing a development application.
What if I need help with my application before I submit it?
Council strongly recommends you seek the assistance of a professional planning consultant.
You can also ask a question or make a general planning enquiry free of charge by:
You can leave a message with Customer Service at any time and this will be logged in a register for a call back. A Duty Planner will then phone you back on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday between 9am and 1pm (or occasionally outside of these hours).
If your enquiry is very complex, a Council Duty Planner will contact you to make a phone appointment or organise a formal pre-lodgement meeting.
At a pre-lodgement meeting, a planning assessment officer reviews all of your documentation. Please note that a charge of $528 applies for this service, which will be refunded as a fee credit when your application is formally lodged.
For more information read our Three key steps to preparing a development application.
How do I submit my application?
On 1 July 2021 the NSW Government introduced a new platform for lodging planning applications in order to create a simpler, faster and more transparent process.
For most planning approvals you now need to use the NSW Planning Portal to submit and monitor your application.
To use the NSW Planning Portal you will need:
- an email address
- a Service NSW account
- digital copies of all your planning documents ready to upload.
Once you have completed your application and gathered digital copies of all the necessary supporting documentation, you submit these online using the NSW Planning Portal.
Please note the NSW Government charges a submission fee for using the NSW Planning Portal.
Can I still submit my application at Council?
The NSW Government has made it mandatory for most planning applications to be submitted online in the NSW Planning Portal. However, you can still apply to Kempsey Shire Council for a:
What if I need help making my submission in the NSW Planning Portal?
For help with lodging an application online using the Planning Portal, please head to Service NSW where the concierge team can direct you and assist.
For help with preparing your application, Council strongly recommends you seek the assistance of a professional planner. Council can also answer general enquiries. For more information, see Get planning advice.
How do I monitor my application once I submit it?
The NSW Planning Portal has a comprehensive application tracking service. You can log on at any time to see the status of your application.
You will also receive regular email updates as your application progresses - see Lodge your DA for an explanation of the different types of application status.
What if I haven't included everything in my application?
You must have all the supporting documentation before you submit your application.
Before any assessment is made, your submission will be checked to confirm that all the supporting documentation has been provided.
When your completed submission is accepted, you will be emailed an acknowledgement by Council. This will include a link to pay your application fees online. The application fee is the fee Council charges for assessing the applications.
The fee will include a credit for any pre-lodgement meeting fees you have paid.
If your application does not include all the necessary documentation, the application will be rejected as incomplete, and you will be provided with a list of the missing documentation that would be required for resubmission.
Please note, if your application is rejected, you will need to pay the NSW Government submission fee again on resubmission.
What if I need help using the NSW Planning Portal after I have made my submission?
Your first step should be consulting the Help Desk on the NSW Planning Portal.
If you need further assistance, please contact Service NSW on 13 77 88 or visit a Service NSW Service Centre.
How does the assessment process work?
Once your application fee is paid, your application is assessed on its merits. This process is coordinated by Council, who will work with you and all other relevant bodies.
You can monitor the status of your assessment in the NSW Planning Portal.
Following Council assessment, your application will be determined as either approved or refused and you will be notified by email. You will be able to download the relevant documentation in the NSW Planning Portal.
For more information, see Assessment and approval process.
How do I make a payment?
There are two types of fees associated with your application.
The NSW Government charges a submission fee for an application lodged through the NSW Planning Portal. Please note, if your application is rejected, you will need to pay the NSW Government submission fee again on resubmission.
Council charges an application fee for assessing your application. The fee will vary depending on the application type and value.
Any fee paid for a pre-lodgment meeting will be refunded as a credit against your application fee.
What can I still do at Council Customer Service?
You can ask a question or make a general planning enquiry free of charge by:
- emailing Council at ksc@kempsey.nsw.gov.au at any time
- phoning Council's Customer Service team on 02 6566 3200.
We recommend that you email your enquiry where possible, as this is often the fastest and most convenient way to obtain the information you're seeking.
Please note you do not submit your application or pay your submission fee to Council. This is done through the NSW Planning Portal.
However, you can still apply to Council for the following:
What if I need some aspect of my assessment explained?
Call your assigned Council assessor and they will endeavour to return your call within 24 hours, though this may extend during busy periods.
How do I monitor applications by someone else that impact me?
All development applications received by Council before 1 July 2021 can be viewed on Council’s DA Tracker.
All development applications submitted from 1 July 2021 can be viewed via the tracker on the NSW Planning Portal.
Notifications of development applications are put on public exhibition on our website for 14 days.
The following DAs are exhibited separately on our website for 28 days as Council is the consent authority:
- Designated development
- State significant development
- Nominated integrated development
- Threatened species development
- Class 1 aquaculture development
Council will also notify neighbours who are likely to be significantly affected by the planning impacts of proposed development.
Determinations of development consent are put on public exhibition via our Public Notices, the NSW Planning Portal and the notices section in the Observer newspaper.
Council does not exhibit notifications of applications by developers to progress an already approved development. A development application and accompanying documents may also be inspected at Kempsey Shire Council, 22 Tozer Street, West Kempsey, any time between 10am and 4.30pm on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday (except public holidays) during the exhibition period.
How do I make a submission about an application made by someone else that impacts me?
Anyone may make a written submission to Council during the exhibition period.
If a submission is made by way of objection, the grounds of objection must be specified in the submission.
Please note that submissions must be made before the deadline, and any submission Council receives may be made publicly available.
A person who makes a written submission to a development application is required to disclose all reportable political donations and gifts (if any) made by the person making the submission or any associate of that person within the period commencing two years before the submission is made and ending when the application is determined. This can be done using a disclosure statement form.