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City of Wollongong
Resident Visitor Business

Development Advice

Getting the right advice before you lodge a development application can save you time and money.

There are a couple of ways you can get advice from Council about your development application.

You can talk with a Development Duty Officer to get advice about development proposals.

Use the button below to make a request, and we'll get back to you.

Make a development enquiry
Make a development enquiry

A pre-lodgement meeting is a way to get early feedback on your development application before you formally lodge it. This helps to identify and resolve issues before you lodge an application. This can reduce delays when your application is assessed and may save you money.

We particularly recommend pre-lodgement meetings for complex applications, or where you might want to do work that varies from standard development policies.

Apply online

Before you can apply, you need to log in or register in our Online Services system.

Once you are logged in, select Lodge an Application, then Planning & Development and Development Application - Prelodgement.

Note, meeting application fees apply.

Once your application is received, we’ll get in touch with you to book an appointment.

You’ll need to give us an electronic copy of your:

  • Site plan
  • Floor plan(s) (with dimensions)
  • Site analysis plan, and
  • Any other supporting documents
  • A list of any particular issues you’d like covered at the meeting.

See our Format Guidelines for DAs page for details about how these documents need to be supplied.

Please note that any advice given at a pre-lodgement meeting doesn’t guarantee approval.

After the meeting, we’ll send you notes covering the issues discussed.

Our Design Review Panel is a group of independent experts, including architects, urban designers and landscape architects, who provide feedback and advice about the design of developments. The aim of the panel is to improve the quality and consistency of design throughout our city.

Some types of development applications must go through the Design Review Panel. These include:

  • Apartment buildings or mixed developments that are assessed under SEPP 65 (State Environmental Planning Policy No 65 - Design Quality of Residential Apartment Development)
  • Buildings in the City Centre or other key sites specified in the Wollongong Local Environmental Plan 2009.

Getting feedback from the Design Review Panel is optional for all other types of building-related development.

A proposed development can be sent to the Design Review Panel either before or after you lodge a development application.

After the Design Review Panel meeting, the Panel will provide written advice to both the applicant and Council.

To apply for a Design Review Panel meeting, complete and return the application form. The form explains what documents you will need to include with your application.

Application for a Design Review Panel (DRP) Meeting Prior to Lodgement of a Development Application PDF, 44.17 KB

If you're setting up a small business, see our Small Business Planning page for a general guide to the things you'll need to consider.

Our duty planner can also refer you to our dedicated Small Business Planning team if you need individual advice.

Call us on (02) 4227 7111 to request planning advice for your small business.

See Also