Development

Building and Development

Before commencement of any building takes place, you must notify the Council and submit a Development Application Form with relevant plans and specifications. If you require advice please contact the Development Assessment Manager, Jennifer Brewis on (08) 8626 1001.

People are required to notify Council when they reach different stages for all classes of buildings.

Please click here for the Notification of Building Work.

When is an application required?

An application must be lodged every time you wish to undertake development.  Development is defined in the legislation and refers to a wide range of activities associated with building work, changes in land use, advertising displays, and land and strata division.  It can be a quite simple domestic structure or a complex major commercial project, but an application is necessary in either case.

Some forms of minor activity and structures are actually exempt from this definition of development and consequently do not require approval.  These, however, are the exception rather than the rule and the situation can change depending upon geographic location or the actual nature of the work being undertaken.  As a general rule, any structure that is within the prescribed setback distances, or more than 15 square metres in area, or over 2.5 metres in height, or has a span greater than 3 metres, or adjoins an existing building, calls for an application.

The best way to find out if you need an approval for your proposal is to inquire at the Council office and seek clarification as to what may be involved.

For further information on whether approval is required, the SA Planning Portal has developed a' Virtual House' which guides you through types of developments which you may or may not need approval to build at your property.  Click here to view the 'Virtual House'.

How long will approval take?

Approval for Development Applications not requiring approval by the Council Development Assessment Panel (CDAP) usually take up to 8 weeks to process (providing the required information has been submitted).

Applications that do not fall within the guidelines may be submitted to the Council Development Assessment Panel.  Meetings of the Panel occur on an as need basis.  The public are welcome to attend the meetings.

Non-complying development or Category 2 or 3 developments required Council to undertake public consultation and may take up to 6 months for approval.

Documentation Required

Development Application Form

Declaration of Applicant Under Electricity Act 1996

Information Sheet- Building safely near powerlines(2036 kb)

On-Site Waste Water Application(474 kb)


To view the Development Plan, click here

Further Information

The following Information Sheets have been developed to provide information on the various types of developments and documents required when submitting an application.  These docments are provided as a guide only and we encourage you to contact the Council Office to clarify andy questions you may have prior to submitting an application.

These information sheets can be downloaded in PDF format, if you do not have Acrobat Reader you can download a free copy at http://www.adobe.com/

General Guidelines

Please click on the links:

General Guidelines - Information Sheet 2

Making an Application - Information Sheet 3

Information Required - Information Sheet 4

Public Notification - Information Sheet 5

Non-Complying Development - Information Sheet 6

Home-Business Activity - Information Sheet 7