Western Sydney

Town planner in Fairfield

Statements of Environmental Effects, development due diligence, duplex, granny flat, townhouse and subdivision DAs across the Fairfield local government area. Fixed-fee proposals, usually within one business day.

Local Environmental PlanFairfield Local Environmental Plan 2013

Development Control PlanFairfield City Wide Development Control Plan 2013

State policiesCodes SEPP (Housing Code, Low Rise Housing Diversity Code), Housing SEPP 2021, low and mid-rise housing provisions

Planning in Fairfield

Fairfield has a high proportion of R2 lots around 550 to 650 square metres where dual occupancies and secondary dwellings are the most common DAs.

The Prospect Creek, Orphan School Creek and Cabramatta Creek flood planning areas cover a large share of the LGA, and flood compatible design is a standard SEE section.

The Horsley Park and Cecil Park rural lands and the Western Sydney Parklands introduce rural lot size and access issues.

What we do for Fairfield sites

Statements of Environmental Effects for new houses, knock-down rebuilds, alterations, dual occupancies, secondary dwellings and townhouses, written to Fairfield Local Environmental Plan 2013 and Fairfield City Wide Development Control Plan 2013.
Development due diligence reports before you buy: zoning, permissibility, yield, constraints and the approval pathway.
Dual occupancy and duplex planning, including minimum lot size and frontage checks, CDC eligibility under the Low Rise Housing Diversity Code and Torrens subdivision advice.
Granny flat planning where the site does not fit the Housing Code and a DA is needed.
Townhouse and multi dwelling housing yield testing, DCP compliance and SEE reports.
Subdivision, Clause 4.6 requests, DA or CDC advice and responses to council requests.

Suburbs we cover in Fairfield

Fairfield
Cabramatta
Canley Vale
Canley Heights
Wetherill Park
Smithfield
Bossley Park
Prairiewood
Bonnyrigg
Edensor Park
St Johns Park
Greenfield Park
Abbotsbury
Horsley Park
Cecil Park

How a DA works in Fairfield

Development applications are lodged through the NSW Planning Portal and assessed by the council against the LEP, the DCP and the section 4.15 matters in the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979. Where a proposal meets every standard in the Codes SEPP it may instead be approved as complying development by a private certifier, which is faster but has no room for merit assessment. We check both pathways before recommending one.

A complete application is the single biggest thing an applicant controls. Our Statements of Environmental Effects address the LEP and DCP in the order the assessing officer reads them, with the sources shown, so requests for information are the exception rather than the rule.

Frequently asked questions: Fairfield

Do I need a Statement of Environmental Effects for a DA in Fairfield?

Yes. Every development application lodged with Fairfield council through the NSW Planning Portal needs a Statement of Environmental Effects that addresses Fairfield Local Environmental Plan 2013 and Fairfield City Wide Development Control Plan 2013. Complying development certificates do not.

Can I build a duplex in Fairfield?

Dual occupancies are permissible with consent in most R2 and R3 zones, subject to the minimum lot size and frontage in Fairfield Local Environmental Plan 2013 and the DCP controls. Since 1 July 2024 the state-wide dual occupancy provisions also apply to most R2 land. A site check confirms whether your lot qualifies and whether CDC or DA is the pathway.

Which planning controls apply in Fairfield?

The zoning, lot size, height and floor space ratio come from Fairfield Local Environmental Plan 2013; setbacks, site coverage, landscaping, privacy, parking and stormwater come from Fairfield City Wide Development Control Plan 2013. State policies such as the Codes SEPP and the Housing SEPP sit over the top.

Do you visit sites in Fairfield?

Most planning reports are desktop based, using the survey, drawings, aerial imagery and the Planning Portal. We inspect where access, slope, trees or neighbouring development make it worthwhile, and we work with local surveyors and engineers across Fairfield.

Instrument names are stated as current at the time of writing. Councils amend their LEPs and DCPs; we confirm the version in force on the date of each report.