Building Advisory Service

Submit a Building and Development Enquiry

Council's Customer Service Team offers general entry-level advice in response to your written general building and development enquiries. This service is suitable for your questions regarding application lodgement, preliminary stages of planning, and small scale developments such as:

  • Dwellings, dual occupancy dwellings, and secondary dwellings (e.g. granny flats).
  • Ancillary structures such as decks, pergolas, garden sheds, and retaining walls.
  • General land use and zoning matters
  • Explaining procedures for lodgement of applications, documentation and requirements
  • General building compliance matters

 

Currently On-site Appointments with a Council Development Advisor have been suspended until further notice. 

Please note: Due to high demand, we are unable to go through all of Council’s planning controls in details nor provide a detailed assessment for any development proposal you may be considering. Should these services be required, you may need to engage your own planning consult. Pre-purchase enquiries relating to information on covenants or easements should be directed to your conveyancer for the details within the contract of sale.

Larger scale or more complex developments, including subdivision, may require a formal Pre-lodgement Meeting instead. See the Large Scale Development tab below for more information.

If you have a small business enquiry, Council's Development Assessment Team can address approvals centered around the business' location, development consents and/or food and health registrations based on the intended business use. See the Small Business tab below for more information.

All other general development enquiries should be directed to the relevant section of Council including engineering, local infrastructure, environment and health. Please call our Customer Service Centre on 02 9843 0555 or lodge an e-request with your enquiry.

General Development

Step 1.Prior to submitting, have you checked:

 

Step 2.Complete Online Form

  • Complete your details
  • Describe your development project
  • Attach any relevant documentation for the meeting

 

Step 3.Online Form Link

SUBMIT YOUR ENQUIRY HERE

 

Step 4.Next Steps

You will receive confirmation through your email with a reference number.

Your request will be reviewed by our Development Advisory & Lodgement Team. Please allow between 10-15 working days for a formal written response.

To follow up, please call 02 9843 0555 and press '2' when prompted.

Large Scale Development

Step 1.Do you need a pre-lodgement meeting?

A formal pre-lodgement meeting is required prior to the lodgement of a Development Application for the following types of larger scale or more complex developments:

  • Residential flat buildings
  • Multi dwelling housing development
  • Small lot housing (Refer to Clause 4.1B Exceptions to minimum lot sizes for certain residential development of The Hills Local Environmental Plan 2012)
  • Affordable Rental Housing (not Secondary Dwellings)
  • Seniors Living developments
  • Child Care Centres
  • New or extensions/alterations to commercial developments
  • New or extensions/alterations to industrial buildings
  • Designated development
  • Telecommunications Facilities
  • Larger scale rural activities
  • Subdivision proposals

 

Step 2.What about Single Residential developments?

Single residential and ancillary development should be discussed with Council’s Lodgement & Enquiries Team. Please use the General Development tab above or call 02 9843 0555 and press '2' when prompted.

 

Step 3.Subdivision and Engineering Enquiries

Subdivision and Engineering related enquires should be directed to Council’s Duty Subdivision Officer. Generally, any subdivision application requires a pre-lodgement meeting. It is suggested that you contact Council’s Duty Subdivision Officer on 02 9843 0374 to clarify whether a pre-lodgement meeting is required.

 

Step 4.Book a pre-lodgment meeting

Click here to view form.

Small Business

Starting up a business requires approvals centered around the businesses location and Development Consents and/or Food & Health Registrations based on the intended business use.

Unfortunately where businesses commence without appropriate approval, business operators can place themselves in difficult circumstances either because their use is prohibited, or because they have great difficulties in meeting building and fire safety requirements for particular types of uses.

This can have a significant financial impact. We would like to assist you avoid this hardship.

Council's Development Assessment Team can guide you through the process as well as detailed checks you can complete for your business before you sign a lease or enter into any other business agreements.

If a detailed Development Application is required for your new business there are also final checklists before submission to the NSW online Planning Portal.

Click here to find out more

Contact Us

Phone

02 9843 0555

Location

The Hills Shire Council Customer Service Centre
3 Columbia Court
Norwest
2153
View Map

Related Information

Back to top