The requirements for lodging a Development Application (DA) may somewhat vary between various councils however the following five steps are required for most of residential DAs.

1.  Check the council planning rules that apply to your land. These are available on council website. You may need an expert assistance to navigate through the policies to determine the applicable rules.
2. Prepare plans and drawings. A building designer or a draftsman can assist you in preparing the plans to a level of detail acceptable by council and legislations.The types of plans required may vary however the following list outlines the most common ones required for a residential development.
   a) Site plan and site analysis
   b) Floor plans and elevations
   c) Survey plan
   d) Drainage plan
   e) Construction management plan
   f) Landscape plan
   g) Shadow diagrams
   h) Notification plan
   i) Basix certificate
3. Prepare a Statement of Environmental effects.
   This is a written report that explains the likely impacts of the proposed development and how to reduce these impacts. The issues to be addressed include Site suitability, present and previous use of the land, compliance with the development standards such as FSR, heights, landscaping etc defined by the Local Environmental Plan (LEP) and detailed in the relevant Development control plan (DCP)
4. Complete and sign application forms and checklists.
5. Lodge application and supporting document and pay applicable fees.

Sam George - Building Designer