Development advice services
Start your project right. Council’s Development Support Services can help answer your building and development questions before you begin.
See if your query is covered in our Frequently Asked Questions
General Enquiries
If your questions are not answered by the FAQs, you can contact our Development Support Services team via:
This is a maximum 15 minute free development enquiry service and bookings are highly recommended.
We can assist you more efficiently if you provide:
- Your name and contact details including phone and email.
- The address of the property your enquiry relates to.
- Details about the nature of your enquiry and what you require from Council.
Our Development Support Services team can help with the below enquiries.
Finding information on exempt development (no approval required) for:
- a change of use
- home business, home industry, or home occupation
- residential works (e.g. sheds, carports, alterations and additions, water tanks, fences, hot water systems, and portable swimming pools)
- Temporary uses for mobile food and drink outlets, events, community and commercial purposes
Development application requirements for residential buildings in towns and villages for:
- dual occupancies
- single dwellings
- secondary dwellings
- other buildings and structures on residential property.
Guidance on general residential development:
- building heights
- setbacks
- onsite parking requirements.
Other:
- the development assessment process
- other basic planning controls and policies that affect your property.
Detailed Enquiries
Detailed enquiries require payment of a fee and include advice for the following matters:
- dwelling entitlements
- smaller subdivisions
- general change of use or redevelopment of a site that requires a development application.
Please contact our Development Specialist by emailing a completed Development Advice Form(PDF, 827KB) to council@begavalley.nsw.gov.au.
We are unable to go through all of Council's controls in detail or provide a detailed assessment of any development proposal you may be considering. If this is required, you may need to engage your own planning consultant or book a pre-lodgement Development Advisory Panel Meeting for larger types of development.
Development Advisory Panel
For pre-lodgement advice for major or complex development you can book a meeting with Council’s Development Advisory Panel.
Please note a fee applies for this service.
Written notes from the meeting relating to your development proposal will be forwarded to you as soon as possible after the meeting.
The Development Advisory Panel comprises the following staff, although other staff may attend when needed.
- Planning Coordinator
- Building Coordinator
- Development Engineering Coordinator
- Environmental Services Coordinator
- Community Services representative
- Strategic Planning Coordinator
To book a Pre-DA meeting
The Development Advisory Panel meets Thursdays from 10am. To make an appointment email developmentadvisorypanel@begavalley.nsw.gov.au.
Please make an appointment no later than midday Monday, prior to the Thursday you wish to meet with the Panel. If there are no available appointments on the day Council can arrange your appointment for the following week. When making your appointment with the Panel please provide, or arrange to provide, the following information:
- The names of the people attending the meeting
- The address of the land under discussion
- The type of development proposed
- A contact person and phone number
- A locality plan identifying the property
- A concept plan showing the layout of the site (at minimum) and sketch elevations with basic dimensions
- A brief written description of the proposal
- Photographs (where possible) of the site and existing buildings where relevant
What does the Development Advisory Panel give advice about?
- Rezoning (planning proposal) applications
- Medium density housing development over five units
- Subdivision involving the construction of a new road (either private or public)
- Subdivision in excess of ten lots
- New building within a heritage conservation area or where major work to a heritage-listed property is proposed
- New development for tourist accommodation or tourist facilities
- New development for industrial or commercial purposes
- Proposal for designated development for the purpose of Schedule 3 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulation 2000
Proposal for regional development for the purpose of the State and Regional Development SEPP and Schedule 4A of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979.
Frequently Asked Questions
18 Result(s) Found
The erection of advertising or signage can often be undertaken as exempt development (development which does not require consent via a DA) or complying development (via a Complying Development Certificate) under State Environmental Planning Policy (Exempt and Complying Development Codes) 2008 (Codes SEPP).
The NSW Department of Planning and Environment has prepared a useful fact sheet which outlines the circumstances in which signage can be undertaken as exempt or complying development. If your proposed signage does not satisfy these requirements, a Development Application (DA) is required.
See further guidance on DA lodgement requirements using Council’s DA Matrix and Plan and Report Guide here: The DA Process - Your guide
Whether you can build over an easement depends on the details of that easement – what its for and who has the right to use or benefit from it. If you wish to build over an easement, it is recommended that you first seek advice from a conveyancer, solicitor or other expert in a related field.
Contact council@begavalley.nsw.gov.au or phone 6499 2222 and request advice from the following teams for:
- building over a Council water or sewer assets - Council’s Water and Sewer Services
- building over stormwater easements - Council’s Development Engineering team.
For pre-purchase enquiries, please see the Section 10.7 planning certificate contained within the sale of contract of a property for information. If you do not have a certificate, you may purchase one by submitting a planning-certificate-2024.pdf(PDF, 134KB) form to Council, with Owner’s consent.
If your pre-purchase enquiry relates to covenants and restrictions not associated with Council owned or managed land or Council infrastructure (e.g. water and sewer assets), please speak to your conveyancer or solicitor.
See further information here:
Or Contact Council’s Building and Certification team with your complying development enquiry via council@begavalley.nsw.gov.au.
Demolition usually requires approval in Bega Valley Shire.
Approval is required for demolition of a heritage item.
See the following further information:
A development consent normally expires five years after it begins, as required by the NSW Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979. But this doesn’t mean the whole development must be finished within those five years.
Under the rules if the consent is for erection of a building, subdivision of land or other construction work, , it will not expire as long as some form of genuine building, engineering, or construction work has physically commenced on the site before the five‑year deadline. See the following links for further information on NSW rules for lapsing of consents and when work is physically commenced.
To enquire about the status or validity of a DA, please email Council at council@begavalley.nsw.gov.au and include the following information:
- Property address
- Lot / Section / DP
- DA number
- Name
- Contact details
- Email address
- Details of any conditions that have physically commenced
- A detailed description of your enquiry
Note: Fees may apply.
Development contributions apply to certain types of development in the Bega Valley. See further information here: Development contributions
Please contact the Development Support Services team for additional advice on any development contributions that may apply to your site or proposal via council@begavalley.nsw.gov.au.