Building Advisory Service

Submit a Building and Development Enquiry

Council's Customer Service Team offers general entry-level advice to building and development enquiries.

This service is suitable for your questions on:

  • 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

 

Please note: Due to high demand, we are unable to go through Council’s planning controls in detail. Nor can we provide a detailed assessment for any development proposal you are considering.
For more detailed advice you may need to engage your own planning consult.

Pre-purchase enquiries relating to information on covenants or easements

Direct these to your conveyancer for the details within the contract of sale.

Larger scale or more complex developments (including subdivision)

These developments may need a formal Pre-lodgement Meeting instead. Click on the Large Scale Development tab below for more information.

Small Business Enquiries

Council's Development Assessment Team can address approvals based on the intended business use.

These include:

  • approvals centered around the business' location
  • development consents
  • food and health registrations

Click on the Small Business tab below for more information.

General Development Enquiries

Direct all other general development enquiries to the relevant section of Council:

  • 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 (click to view)

Step 1.Prior to submitting, have you checked:

Development Application Process Fact Sheet(PDF, 3MB)

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 (click to view)

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

Before the lodgement of a Development Application request a formal meeting 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 2019)
  • 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?

Discuss single residential and ancillary development 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

Direct Subdivision and Engineering enquires to Council’s Duty Subdivision Officer.

Generally, any subdivision application requires a pre-lodgement meeting.

To clarify that you need a pre-lodgement meeting contact Council’s Duty Subdivision Officer on 02 9843 0374.

 

Step 4.Book a pre-lodgment meeting

Book a Pre-lodgement Meeting Here

Small Business (click to view)

Starting up a business requires approvals centered around the intended business use as well as:

  • The businesses location
  • Development Consents and/or
  • Food & Health Registrations

If businesses start without appropriate approval operators can find themselves in difficult circumstances.

This is either because:

  • their use is prohibited or
  • they can't meet 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.

Before you sign a lease, or enter into any other business agreements, they can provide detailed checks for your business.

If you need a detailed Development Application there are also final checklists. Use these 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
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