Submissions in respect of a Development Application (DA) or DA Modification must be received by Council within fourteen (14) days of the date appearing on the application or, alternatively, within such additional period as may be determined by the Director, Development and Environmental Services or his/her delegate.

Persons making submissions to DAs or DA modifications are encouraged to do so via Council’s on-line DA Tracking site. Note that in accordance with the Government Information (Public Access) (GIPA) Act 2009, ALL submissions on DAs and DA Modification are being made available on the DA Tracking site, unless they contain commercial information, or information that would likely prejudice the commercial position of the person who supplied it or information that reveals a trade secret; this includes all submissions made by Members of Parliament and/or Councillors on behalf of residents. Note that all submissions that are not electronically made will also be scanned and published on Council’s DA Tracking site.

All submissions must be addressed to the General Manager.

A submission may be made by any person whether or not that person has been, or is entitled to be given notice.

Submissions must be made in writing or electronically. Contents of submissions should be restricted to environmental and planning matters relating to the DA or DA modification and should NOT contain specific private, defamatory and risk to security information. If the submission is an objection, the submission must state the reasons for objection.

From 1 October 2008 when lodging a submission on a relevant planning application (eg; LEP, Section 94 Plan, DCP, DA or DA modification), information about any reportable political donations and gifts (if any) made in the previous two years and up to determination of the planning application, must be disclosed. If a donation or gift was made after lodging a submission, the disclosure must be made within seven (7) days of making the donation or gift.

The disclosure obligations relate to:

• All reportable political donations made to any local councillor (being donations of $1,000 or more); and
• All gifts made to any local councillor or employee.

The disclosure obligations include reportable political donations or gifts made by an associate. An associate is defined by section 147(8) of the Environmental Planning & Assessment (EP & A) Act 1979.

Failure to disclose a reportable political donation or gift is an offence.

Public information

A public register is available with all disclosure statements of donations and gifts (new window), consistent with the Government Information (Public Access) (GIPA) Act 2009.

Detailed information on disclosure obligations and a copy of the disclosure form and guide are available at the Department of Planning & Infrastructure website (new window).

Disclosures lodged by Councillors with the Election Funding Authority can be viewed via the Election Funding Authority site (new window).

Further information

Department of Planning & Infrastructure (new window)

Political donations and gifts disclosure statement form and explanatory information (PDF 123kb)