Get advice from the City of Sydney for your development
When you need to do this
When you’re preparing an application, we can provide general advice about planning controls, application requirements and fees, and help identify potential issues.
What you need to do
It’s your responsibility to be aware of relevant planning controls and policies that apply to your development before you make your application.
For questions about smaller-scale developments such as minor alterations and additions to terraces, apartments, shops, signs, outdoor dining and heritage work exemptions, you’ll need duty planner advice.
If you need guidance about larger-scale developments such as new buildings or significant alterations and additions to a building, ask for pre-lodgement advice.
Duty planner advice
There are 2 ways to get general advice from us:
- For a faster response, call us on 02 9265 9333. A duty planner will try to return your call on the same day where possible. Enquiries made outside of office hours will usually receive a response on the next working day.
- Make a phone appointment with a duty planner at a specific time. Phone bookings can be made at 10pm, 11pm or 2pm on all working days depending on available time slots. These can be booked several months in advance.
Duty planning enquiries are only available by phone and are limited to 30 minutes.
For information about fees for planning applications, see our fees and charges.
Pre-lodgement advice
For planning advice on large or more complex developments, you’ll need to request pre-lodgement advice. Select the City of Sydney Portal option. We don’t accept email requests.
This service can be used if your proposal is for:
- a new building
- large-scale alterations and additions to any building
- development involving remediation of contaminated land.
You can also request pre-lodgement advice for a change of use to:
- backpackers’ accommodation, boarding house, residential flat building, shop-top housing or serviced apartments
- community or health care facility
- early education and care facility or education establishment
- function centre or entertainment facility
- hotel or motel
- industry or warehouse distribution centre
- a mixed-use development
- pub or small bar.
If you have any questions, contact us.
We’ll provide advice in writing and let you know if a meeting is needed. This process can identify potential issues and offer preliminary design advice before the formal development application is lodged. It helps to develop mutually acceptable solutions to issues and advance the assessment process.
The level of service depends on the nature of the proposal and the advice sought.
Pre-lodgement meetings or advice and related fees
The following fees apply for formal pre-lodgement meetings or advice for certain large scale complex proposals:
- Developments (Central Sydney Planning Committee or State Significant Development) with a capital investment value more than $50 million: $5,055
- State Significant Development with a capital investment value under $50 million: $2,840.
Pre-lodgement advice remains free for applications with a capital investment value of less than $50 million.
These fees cover coordinated multidisciplinary assessment, meeting preparation, attendance by relevant technical specialists and written advice after the meeting.
All applicable fees must be paid before the meeting is confirmed. These fees are set out in our fees and charges 2026/27.
Model advice
Some development applications may require you to create a model. For advice about our digital and physical model requirements, you can speak to a City of Sydney modeller.
If you have any questions about model advice appointments, including what to bring with you, please email our model unit at [email protected].
