Within Council there is a Development Services Division which manages all development issues, in regard to planning, building, heritage and environmental health.

Many Development Applications are dealt with under delegated authority by Council Officers. However, some Development Applications require referral to the Council Development Assessment Panel (CDAP) for a decision to be made. Before undertaking any development, please discuss your intentions with the relevant Council Officer/s.

If you are required to lodge a Development Application, time and money can be saved if you are thoroughly prepared. Advice can be obtained from the Development Services Division of Council, phone (08) 8721 2530.

When is a Development Application required?

In accordance with the Development Act 1993, certain developments and activities require Development Approval from Council. A Development Application needs to be lodged with Council in order to obtain Development Approval.

The definition of development as specified within the Development Act 1993 is as follows:

"development" means:

1. building work; or
2. a change in the use of land; or
3. the division of an allotment; or
4. the construction or alteration (except by the Crown, a council or other public authority (but so as not to derogate from the operation of paragraph (e))) of a road, street or thoroughfare on land (including excavation or other preliminary or associated work); or
   1. the creation of fortifications; or
5. in relation to a State heritage place—the demolition, removal, conversion, alteration or painting of, or addition to, the place, or any other work that could materially affect the heritage value of the place; or
6. in relation to a local heritage place—the demolition, removal, conversion, alteration of, or addition to, the place, or any other work (not including painting but including, in the case of a tree, any tree-damaging activity) that could materially affect the heritage value of the place; or
   1. in relation to a significant tree—any tree-damaging activity; or
7. prescribed mining operations on land; or
   1. prescribed earthworks (to the extent that any such work or activity is not within the ambit of a preceding paragraph); or
8. an act or activity in relation to land (other than an act or activity that constitutes the continuation of an existing use of land) declared by regulation to constitute development, (including development on or under water) but does not include an act or activity that is excluded by regulation from the ambit of this definition;

A Development Application has three consents pursuant to the Development Act 1993. The three consents being Development Plan Consent (planning consent), Building Rules Consent (building consent) and final Development Approval.

No development work can commence on site until Development Approval has been granted. Some applications may require public notification (advertising) and/or consultation with various Government Authorities.



The City of Mount Gambier is able to offer a "one-stop-shop" for development applications. By lodging your Development Application with Council for Planning Assessment, Building Assessment and Development Approval, Council is able to consider the applications at the same time, ensuring that plans are consistent from Planning to Building Consent and Development Approval. The process allows a streamlined approach to the assessment of your application, ensuring efficiencies in the issuing of your Development Approval.

Additionally, the Building Team, through Councils Building Fire Safety Committee, also undertake inspections in accordance with councils inspection policy and deal with issues relating to Building Fire Safety, particularly on those buildings where members of the public stay or gather for recreational or social purposes. We also undertake inspections of unsafe buildings and structures to ensure their structural integrity and where necessary issue emergency orders to remove/repair any dangerous structures.

For further information on any of the above, please call the Development Services Division on (08) 8721 2530 during business hours.