Governance

Who decides what

Roles and decision rights for planning, the delegations and panel thresholds the gate enforces, and the guardrails that stop agents.

Roles

RoleKindResponsibilitiesDecision rights
APPLICANT
Applicant or owner
EXTERNALLodges, provides information once, responds to notices, seeks review.Responds to show cause; seeks review.
AUDITOR
Internal audit
INTERNALVerifies the evidence chain and tests decisions against delegations.No decisions. Unrestricted read of the chain.
BUILDING_CERTIFIER
Building certifier
INTERNALThe accredited certifier for building work.Certificates the agent could not issue on evidence; stop-work advice.
COURT
Planning court
EXTERNALMerits review of determinations.External tier.
DELEGATED_OFFICER
Delegated officer
INTERNALHolds delegation under the complaints policy and information-access law.Escalates a complaint to formal review; decides information-access requests.
DELEGATED_PLANNER
Delegated planner
INTERNALHolds the delegation to determine applications the panel thresholds do not capture.Determinations; conditions outside the standard set; variations within the delegation.
PLANNING_OFFICER
Planning officer
INTERNALReviews the agent's assessment report, runs meetings with applicants, records referral and submission responses.No determinations.
PLANNING_PANEL
Planning panel
INTERNALThe independent panel that determines applications above the thresholds or contrary to policy.Determinations of panel matters.
REFERRAL_AGENCY
Referral agency
EXTERNALHeritage, floodplain, fire, environment, roads and design review bodies.Concurrence or conditions within their remit.
SUBMITTER
Submitter
EXTERNALMakes a submission during notification.None.

Delegations and thresholds

RoleDecisionNote
DELEGATED_PLANNERda determinationDetermine an application not captured by the panel thresholds.
PLANNING_PANELda determinationDetermine any application.
PLANNING_PANELda panel determinationDetermine an application above the panel thresholds.
BUILDING_CERTIFIERcertificationIssue or refuse a certificate the agent held.
DELEGATED_OFFICERda enforcementOrder, stop work or refer for prosecution after notice.
Panel thresholdsGL-PD-07Cost of works ≥ $5,000,000; ≥ 10 objections; variation to a development standard > 10%; recommendation contrary to a referral objection.

Guardrails

  • GL-PD-01 Every determination is a person's

    The agent assesses and recommends. A delegated planner, or the panel where the thresholds apply, determines every application.

  • GL-PD-02 Every clause cited

    The assessment record cites the clause, the control, the proposal's number and the result for every test, and the report answers every submission.

  • GL-PD-03 Ask once

    Completeness is checked once against the pathway's list; the statutory clock stops only as the Act allows and restarts when the information arrives.

  • GL-PD-04 Referrals in parallel, deemed concurrence visible

    Every referral the scheme requires is sent at lodgement, in parallel, with its due date; a late response is treated as the Act provides and the record says so.

  • GL-PD-05 Notification honoured

    Notification runs for the period the scheme sets; every submission is summarised by issue and answered in the report.

  • GL-PD-06 Conditions relevant and certain

    Standard conditions are drafted by the agent. A condition outside the standard set is drafted with its precedent and imposed only by the delegate; every condition serves a planning purpose and relates to the development.

  • GL-PD-07 Panel thresholds applied automatically

    Cost of works, number of objections, variations to development standards and recommendations contrary to policy route the determination to the panel.

  • GL-PD-08 Certificates only on evidence

    A stage or occupation certificate issues only when every prior stage is evidenced; anything inconsistent is the certifier's.

  • GL-PD-09 Enforcement after notice, by a person

    An inspection finding of unlawful work leads to a notice of intention; the delegated officer decides after the response or the period.

  • GL-PD-10 Statutory clocks visible

    Every application carries its statutory date; deemed refusal is never allowed to operate by accident.