Once you have completed preparing the documents needed for approval, you, your builder or the design professional that prepared the plans for you can lodge them with us.

The lodgement process

The development application lodgment process is as follows.

1. Applicant submits development application to us in person, post or via email.
2. We check development application form and documents against the Planning and Development Act (on-the-spot lodgement checks are not available - we aim to complete lodgement checks within 24-48 hours).
3. We request further information if required.
4. We advise proponent of required fees.
5. Proponent pays full and correct amount of fees and application is officially lodged.

Document requirements

When lodging a development application, please note these important requirements:

• the relevant development application lodgement form must be used;
• the applicant is responsible for identifying the track - code track, merit track or impact track - and completing the lodgement form prior to lodgement;
• all plans and documentation must be provided on CD if submitting in person or by post or attached in an email if submitting electronically and must meet the following requirements -
• • each document must be saved as a PDF and named in accordance with the naming convention (PDF 50.1kb),
  • all plans must be rotated to landscape, and
  • all plans are to be clear and concise and consistent with Australian Standard 1100.301 - 1995 and Australian Standard 1100.301 supplementary as updated from time to time;

• where specified on the relevant development application lodgement form, some plans and documentation must be provided in printed form as well as on CD;
• if the development application is for a development that had been undertaken without required development approval, a plan of development prepared by a registered surveyor must be submitted with it and the plan must set out the dimensions of the development; and
• on-the-spot lodgement checks are not available - we aim to complete lodgement checks within 24-48 hours.

Submission of documents in person, by post or email

To lodge in person, visit our Dickson Customer Service Centre with your CD or required printed documents between 8.30am and 4.30pm weekdays.

To lodge CDs by post, send the CD to the Applications Secretariat, PO Box 365, Mitchell, ACT, 2911.

To lodge by email with PDFs and JPEGs, follow the requirements above, converting all documents, forms and plans into PDF and naming them in accordance with the file naming convention (PDF 50.1kb). Photos can be submitted in JPEG format. With the exception of photos, please restrict the size of individual files to no more than 1MB. We can only accept emails up to a maximum of 10MB. If the combination of documents, plans and photos is more than 10MB, please separate the documents into two or more emails. Send documents to app.sec@act.gov.au and in the subject line title the email DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION LODGEMENT - BLOCK - SECTION - SUBURB. For example, if you are lodging plans for Block 19, Section 32, Dickson, the subject line would be DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION LODGEMENT - 19/32 - DICKSON. 

Payment of fees

Once your application has been accepted for lodgement, you will be contacted about the need to pay the required development application fees. You can pay these fees by:

• using Canberra Connect's secure bill payment portal using credit card;
• calling us on (02) 6207 1923 to pay by credit card; or
• visiting our Dickson Customer Service Centre to pay by credit card, EFTPOS, cash or cheque. Cheques can be made payable to ACT Planning and Land Authority or Receiver of Public Monies.

Credit cards accepted are MasterCard or Visa.

Once payment is accepted for the correct amount, your development application is officially lodged.

After lodgement

After payment of the correct fees, we will then assess your development application, and depending on the track it is in, the application may require public notification before we can provide a notice of decision.

Incorrect tracks

The following table outlines what happens to development applications lodged in the incorrect track.

Amendments

An amendment to an approved code track, merit track or impact track development application will only be accepted if:

• the development applied for in the amendment will be substantially the same as the development applied for originally; and
• the assessment track for the application will not change if the application is amended.