A development application (DA) is an application for demolition, construction or renovation under existing zoning, submitted by or on behalf of an owner. It could also be a request to allow the usage of the building to be changed, eg from residential to business use.
A planning proposal is a document that requests permission to amend the Local Environmental Plan (LEP), the council’s key planning document. The planning proposal may be a request to alter land uses through rezoning and/or amend the development standards, such as height of building, floor space ratio, heritage, additional permitted uses or other clauses. A planning proposal is the first step in making an amendment to the LEP through the Department of Planning and Environment Gateway Process.
Council staff receive and report on all DAs and planning proposals.
Contested DAs (eg at least ten unique objections) are determined by the “Local Planning Panel”, which deals with Canada Bay DAs but is not actually local, because it is composed mostly of people recruited by the NSW Government and works to rules determined entirely by the NSW government. Their decisions are based on whether a development follows the government rules, not the actual merit of the development.
DAs valued at over $30 million go from staff to the Eastern Planning Panel.
All planning proposals are determined by councillors, with accepted planning proposals going to the government who can then veto or change them. Proponents of planning proposals rejected by Canada Bay Council can still take their planning proposal to the Eastern Planning Panel, who may accept it with whatever changes they wish to make.