• Section 149 Planning certificates confirm planning requirements and restrictions that apply to a parcel of land.

Complying development is development that has a greater impact than the exempt development types, but is still considered to have minor environmental impact on neighbourhood amenity. Types of complying development include internal alterations to a house, a new single or two storey dwelling and a below ground swimming pool.

Some complying development works are permissible in heritage conservation areas but additional development standards apply.

Development that satisfies the complying development standards will receive approval within 10 days. Complying development is a quick and simple alternative to the DA process.

To be complying development all the prescribed development standards must be met and a Complying Development Certificate (PDF) must be issued by either Council or an accredited certifier before development commences.

Both the State Government and Council have rules for complying development. The State Government’s rules are set out in the State Codes SEPP and Council’s rules are set out in the Exempt and Complying DCP (PDF).

If you are proposing a development type that is identified as complying development in both the Codes SEPP and Council's Exempt and Complying DCP, you can choose to apply either the SEPP or the DCP provisions.

See Same development under the State Codes SEPP and Council’s DCP for more information about the relationship between the controls in the Codes SEPP and Council's DCP where both seek to address the "same development type".

Note: If your proposal is for a solar energy system, this may be exempt or complying development subject to compliance with the relevant development standards in SEPP (Infrastructure) 2007.

The State Codes SEPP

If you think your development is complying development under the Codes SEPP, you must refer to clauses 1.17A and 1.18 (General requirements for complying development). These clauses establish the general requirements for all complying development. For example, all complying development must be a use that is permitted in the land use zone, and meet Building Code of Australia requirements.

You must also refer to Clause 1.19 (Land on which exempt development and complying development may not be carried out). This clause restricts complying development from being undertaken on certain land, such as land that contains a heritage item.

The State Codes SEPP currently contains 7 codes that address different types of complying development:

• Part 3—General Housing Code
• Part 3A—Rural Housing Code (not applicable to Woollahra)
• Part 4—Housing Alterations Code
• Part 4A—General Development Code
• Part 5—General Commercial and Industrial Code
• Part 6—Subdivisions Code
• Part 7—Demolition Code

To help understand which parts of the Code SEPP applies to your property, this table (PDF) identifies the different land based exclusions and which parts of the Code SEPP may be used on that land.

For more information see complying development under the State Codes SEPP

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Complying Development Certificate Application

• Complying development application form (PDF)
• Payment methods (PDF)