Last updated 20 May 2026
As explained in the previous section, a development application is only required for “assessable development”. Development classified as “accepted development” (such as specified clearing of native vegetation for bushfire management) does not need to be applied for. Development classified as “prohibited development” cannot validly be applied for.
Large property developers will typically engage town planning consultants and lawyers specialising in planning law to determine what applications, if any, are required and to lodge development applications on their behalf. The following explanation is aimed at small developers who wish to understand the basic process for lodging a development application.
The Queensland’s Planning System website also provides useful resources and practical advice too.
Pre-lodgement meetings
While not a legal or formal requirement, arranging a pre-lodgement meeting with the planning staff of the assessment manager (normally the relevant local government) and any referral agency is very common. It is a useful way of ironing out any concerns that the council or others involved in assessing the application may have regarding the development application and ensuring that all of the information required by them is included.
Lodging a properly made application
If a proposed development is an assessable development, then a properly made application must be made to the relevant assessment manager in accordance with the Development Assessment Rules. It must be in the approved form and accompanied by the relevant application fee.
The applicant must also give a copy of the development application to any referral agency (s 54 Planning Act).
Advertising requirements
Code assessable development generally does not require public notification, but impact-assessable development is required to be notified in accordance with the Development Assessment Rules by:
- placing a notice on the land in the way prescribed under the Development Assessment Rules
- giving a notice to the owners of all land adjoining the land
- publishing a notice complying with the requirements stated in the confirmation notice (i.e. the notice given by the assessment manager when accepting a development application as properly made), such as publishing in a local newspaper or on a specified website.
An example of a notice placed on the land is shown in the following image (Click image for larger view):
Notices on land must remain in place for at least 15 business days for normal applications (not including any business days from 20 December to 5 January) (s 53 Planning Act).
Amongst other things, the public notices must outline the nature of the proposal, where the application can be viewed and the date by which submissions must be made.
At present, there is no central website where development applications are notified but a local government may notify impact assessable applications on their website.
Information request
The assessment manager and any referral agency may request further information about the proposed development and its likely impacts. This procedure applies to both impact and code assessable development.
The decision notice
The decision stage commences once any notification period has ended, and the assessment manager has received the response to any information request and the response of any referral agency. At this stage, the assessment manager decides whether or not to approve the development application and what conditions to impose (if any). The assessment manager must issue a decision notice within five business days of their decision in accordance with the Development Assessment Rules.