28 Aug Complying Development vs DA

This question comes up time and time again with our clients when we start the design of their new luxury home.

There is no right or wrong answer as each path has certain benefits and restrictions.

Ultimately both paths of approvals are governed by a set of design constraints that control the size, shape and design of the new home.

Complying Development vs DA

Complying Development combines the functions of both a development consent and a construction certificate into the one approval. The driving factors with this path of approval is time efficiency and the flexibility in making changes during the design and construction stages. To gain approval for construction in a couple weeks after submitting the required documents to the Private Certifier is a real plus. It negates the possibility of losing a preferred contractor to another job due to time delays.

Seeking a DA approval with council and then obtaining a Construction Certificate can be a drawn out process which can take 4+ months. In some cases this can ultimately effect the profitability of a project.

Another major positive with Complying Development is the flexibility to make design changes to a project during the design and construction phase. Normally this would require a further submission to council in the form of a Section 96 (modification to a development consent), which can lead to weeks of delays. With Complying Development as long as the design change is within the limits of the Complying Development controls, then that possibility becomes a reality in a short time frame.

A possible downside to the Complying Development certificate can be the rigid approvals process. Essentially it is a case of ticking the boxes and if you comply with the design controls then you achieve an approval. Unlike the DA process where there is scope to argue the impact of a design control and objective, Complying Development requires you to meet the objectives completely. If you wish to push the boundaries of these objectives, then you are unable to seek approval under the Complying Development code. For this reason seeking DA approval with council can be a better option if you ned to push a particular design outcome that meets the planning objective but not necessarily the numerical control.

Both building approvals processes offer different pros and cons to a project. The above is only a small insight into the topic of building approvals, however provides some important factors when making your decision.

Are you planning to build and want to know more? Contact us today and we can help!