Built to

The standards behind planning and development assessment

Pathways by risk, determinations by a person, statutory clocks, referrals and concurrence, notification and submissions, clause-by-clause reasons, lawful conditions, variations, certification on evidence, enforcement with natural justice.

Standard	Source	Requirement	Where it shows up here
Assessment pathways by risk	Planning Act 2016 (Qld) categories; NSW exempt, complying and merit pathways; UK permitted development and prior approval; NZ RMA activity classes	Match the depth of assessment to the risk: exempt, code-assessable, merit-assessable.	The lodgement agent sets the pathway from the zone's permitted uses, the overlays and the numeric controls; exempt development is confirmed without a determination.
Every determination by a person	Delegation instruments under planning Acts; independent and local planning panels (NSW), development assessment panels (WA), councils as consent authorities	Consent is a legal act on land; a delegate or a panel makes it, with reasons.	Every application is held for the delegated planner, or the panel where the thresholds apply; the agent recommends (GL-PD-01, 07).
Statutory timeframes and stop-the-clock	Decision periods and deemed refusal (NSW 40 days, Qld decision period, UK 8/13 weeks, NZ 20 working days); information request rules	Decide within the period; ask for information once; stop the clock only as the Act allows.	Completeness checked once at lodgement; the clock stops and restarts on the record; the overview counts deadlines at risk (GL-PD-03, 10).
Referrals and concurrence	Referral and concurrence provisions (integrated development, referral agencies, statutory consultees)	Send every required referral at lodgement, in parallel; treat a late response as the Act provides and say so.	Overlays and triggers generate referrals with due dates; deemed concurrence is recorded on the file (GL-PD-04).
Public notification and submissions	Community participation plans (NSW); public notification requirements (Qld); statutory consultation (UK 21 days); notified consents (NZ)	Notify for the period the scheme sets; consider every submission; tell submitters the outcome.	Notification periods by pathway and scale; submissions summarised by issue and answered in the report; submitters notified of the determination (GL-PD-05).
Clause-by-clause assessment and reasons	Section 4.15 matters for consideration (NSW); assessment benchmarks (Qld); statement of reasons requirements	Assess against each control; give reasons that cite the clauses.	The assessment record cites clause, control, proposal number and result for every test; reasons on every determination (GL-PD-02).
Conditions that are lawful	Newbury tests (planning purpose, fairly relates, reasonable); relevance and certainty of conditions	Every condition serves a planning purpose, relates to the development and is certain.	Standard conditions applied by the agent; non-standard conditions drafted with precedent and imposed, varied or rejected by the delegate (GL-PD-06).
Variations to development standards	cl 4.6 written requests (NSW); performance outcomes (Qld); material considerations (UK)	A variation is justified in writing against the objectives of the standard; larger variations go to the panel.	Variations are quantified as a percentage; up to the threshold the delegate may grant them with a condition, above it the panel decides (GL-PD-07).
Building certification on evidence	National Construction Code; certifier accreditation and mandatory inspection stages; occupation certificate prerequisites	Each stage inspected and evidenced before the next; occupation only when every prior stage is certified.	Stage certificates issue on evidence; inconsistent evidence is the accredited certifier's; occupation certificates need every stage (GL-PD-08).
Enforcement with natural justice	Development control orders and notice of intention; enforcement notices (UK); abatement notices (NZ)	Notice of the proposed order and the grounds, a chance to respond, an order by a delegate with appeal rights.	Unlawful works lead to a notice of intention; the delegated officer decides after the response or the period (GL-PD-09).
Conflicts and probity	Codes of conduct for planners and panel members; declarations of interest	Declare and manage interests in every determination.	Every determination records the decider and role; panel matters record the chair.
Accessibility and plain language	WCAG 2.2 AA; ISO 24495-1	Every screen usable with assistive technology; notices a person can understand.	Interfaces designed against WCAG 2.2 AA with conformance evidenced per deployment; notices written plainly.