Complying Development (CDC) Applications
A Complying Development Certificate is the fast-track approval pathway. Where a proposal satisfies every criterion in the Codes SEPP, a council or an accredited private certifier can issue a certificate in as little as two to three weeks - with no merit assessment, no neighbour notification and no discretion. The catch is that "every criterion" is literal. One breach and the pathway closes.
Free consultation
- 2–3 weeks where the project qualifies
- From $2,200 + GST for our package, plus certifier fees
- Quoted fixed after a free scope check
The fast-track pathway, and its one condition
The value of complying development is speed and certainty. The condition is absolute compliance. There is no mechanism for a certifier to accept a minor breach, no merit argument, and no negotiation. A structure 150mm too tall is not "substantially compliant" - it is ineligible.
CDC compared with a DA
| Complying Development | Development Application | |
|---|---|---|
| Timeframe | 2–3 weeks | 6–10 weeks typical |
| Assessment | Compliance check only | Merit assessment |
| Neighbour notification | No | Generally yes |
| Variations possible | No | Yes, via Clause 4.6 or DCP justification |
| Who can issue | Council or private certifier | Council only |
| Refusal risk | None if compliant | Real |
When a DA is the better choice even though it is slower
If your proposal needs a variation - extra height, a reduced setback, greater floor space - the DA pathway is not a fallback, it is the only pathway. Trying to redesign a good proposal down to fit CDC criteria sometimes costs you more in built outcome than the extra weeks are worth. We will tell you which way that trade-off falls.
How it works
Eligibility check
2–4 days
We test the proposal against every applicable Codes SEPP criterion and every constraint on your lot.
Package preparation
1–2 weeks
Drawings, BASIX, survey and the technical documentation the certifier requires.
Certification
2–3 weeks
Lodged with council or an accredited certifier and managed through to issue.
If it does not qualify
-
We tell you immediately and set out the DA pathway, rather than pushing an application that will fail.
What we take off your hands
What EHUP handles
- A full eligibility check against every Codes SEPP criterion before you commit
- Preparing the certificate package to certifier standard
- BASIX, survey and technical documentation required for issue
- Managing the certifier through to issue
- Telling you honestly and early when the project does not qualify
What you don't have to deal with
- Discovering at week three that one criterion fails and starting again as a DA
- Paying certifier fees on an application that was never eligible
Frequently asked questions
CDC or DA - what is the actual difference?
A CDC is a compliance check: satisfy every criterion and it must be issued, usually in two to three weeks, with no neighbour notification. A DA is a merit assessment: council weighs the proposal, can impose conditions, can approve a variation, and can refuse it - typically over six to ten weeks. CDC is faster and certain; DA is slower and flexible. If your proposal complies in full, CDC is almost always the better choice.
What kinds of projects qualify for a CDC?
Commonly: new dwellings on standard lots, single and double-storey additions, granny flats and secondary dwellings, swimming pools, internal alterations, and many retail, office and food premises fitouts and changes of use. The project type is only the starting point - eligibility turns on the specific criteria being met on your lot.
What stops a project from being eligible?
Heritage listing or a heritage conservation area. Bushfire-prone land in many cases. Flood-affected land. Land subject to certain covenants or environmentally sensitive area classifications. Exceeding any dimensional criterion - height, setback, floor area, landscaped area, site coverage. And in some cases, the zone itself.
Can a private certifier issue it instead of council?
Yes. An accredited certifier can issue a CDC, and that is often faster than going through council. It does not change the criteria - a certifier has no more discretion than council does.
Related services
Development Application (DA)
A Development Application is the merit-assessed approval pathway.
Residential Council Approval
Most residential developments do not need a full Development Application.
CDC - Restaurants & Cafes
A cafe or restaurant fitout, and in many cases the change of use to a food premises, can be certified as complying development in as little as two to three weeks where the premises satisfies the Codes SEPP in full.
Why clients choose EHUP
- 10+
- 250+
- 14
- 1
Not sure which approval you need?
Tell us the address and what you want to do. We'll help identify the appropriate planning pathway, whether it is exempt development, complying development or a full DA. Your first conversation is free.