Western Sydney

Town planner in Hawkesbury

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

Local Environmental PlanHawkesbury Local Environmental Plan 2012

Development Control PlanHawkesbury Development Control Plan 2002

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

Planning in Hawkesbury

Flooding governs the Hawkesbury: the flood planning level on the Hawkesbury and Nepean rivers and South Creek affects most established suburbs and every rural lot on the floodplain.

Rural and rural-residential land in Kurrajong, Oakville, Vineyard and Glossodia brings lot size, bushfire and on-site wastewater questions into every dual occupancy or subdivision enquiry.

Vineyard is part of the North West Growth Area with its own precinct plan.

What we do for Hawkesbury sites

Statements of Environmental Effects for new houses, knock-down rebuilds, alterations, dual occupancies, secondary dwellings and townhouses, written to Hawkesbury Local Environmental Plan 2012 and Hawkesbury Development Control Plan 2002.
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 Hawkesbury

Windsor
Richmond
South Windsor
Bligh Park
McGraths Hill
Pitt Town
Wilberforce
Kurrajong
North Richmond
Glossodia
Vineyard
Oakville
Hobartville
Londonderry
Freemans Reach

How a DA works in Hawkesbury

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: Hawkesbury

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

Yes. Every development application lodged with Hawkesbury council through the NSW Planning Portal needs a Statement of Environmental Effects that addresses Hawkesbury Local Environmental Plan 2012 and Hawkesbury Development Control Plan 2002. Complying development certificates do not.

Can I build a duplex in Hawkesbury?

Dual occupancies are permissible with consent in most R2 and R3 zones, subject to the minimum lot size and frontage in Hawkesbury Local Environmental Plan 2012 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 Hawkesbury?

The zoning, lot size, height and floor space ratio come from Hawkesbury Local Environmental Plan 2012; setbacks, site coverage, landscaping, privacy, parking and stormwater come from Hawkesbury Development Control Plan 2002. State policies such as the Codes SEPP and the Housing SEPP sit over the top.

Do you visit sites in Hawkesbury?

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 Hawkesbury.

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.