Variations to complying development

Overview

What’s this about?

The NSW Government is proposing a new complying development variations pathway and changes to complying development standards in the Codes SEPP, as part of landmark reforms to make the planning system faster, fairer and more outcomes focused.

Complying development is designed to fast-track straightforward development. But the system is currently too rigid. It means proposals that may only vary slightly from development standards are going through a full DA process, bogging councils and applicants down in unnecessary paperwork and adding, on average, more than 60 days to the assessment process.

We’re working to make the assessment of such proposals more proportionate and speed up the process, allowing people to get shovels in the ground sooner.

The changes we’re making will:

• create greater flexibility within the complying development framework without compromising on good planning outcomes
• speed up the assessment of low-risk, low-impact development
• give applicants greater certainty of assessment timelines
• retain council oversight in assessing variations from existing development standards
• allow councils to re-focus their resources on more complex matters with bigger impacts.

Have your say

Have your say by 5pm Wednesday 24 June 2026. 

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