Central Coast and Hunter

Town planner in Central Coast

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

Local Environmental PlanCentral Coast Local Environmental Plan 2022

Development Control PlanCentral Coast Development Control Plan 2022

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

Planning in Central Coast

The 2022 LEP and DCP replaced the former Gosford and Wyong instruments, so dual occupancy lot sizes and subdivision rules are now set in one place for the whole coast.

Bushfire prone land, flood planning areas around the lakes and Tuggerah, coastal hazards and koala habitat are the main constraints, and sewer availability varies between the older villages.

Warnervale and the northern growth corridor bring their own precinct provisions.

What we do for Central Coast sites

Statements of Environmental Effects for new houses, knock-down rebuilds, alterations, dual occupancies, secondary dwellings and townhouses, written to Central Coast Local Environmental Plan 2022 and Central Coast Development Control Plan 2022.
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 Central Coast

Gosford
Wyong
Erina
Terrigal
Woy Woy
Umina Beach
The Entrance
Toukley
Kariong
Tuggerah
Lake Haven
Bateau Bay
Warnervale
Kincumber
Ourimbah

How a DA works in Central Coast

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: Central Coast

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

Yes. Every development application lodged with Central Coast council through the NSW Planning Portal needs a Statement of Environmental Effects that addresses Central Coast Local Environmental Plan 2022 and Central Coast Development Control Plan 2022. Complying development certificates do not.

Can I build a duplex in Central Coast?

Dual occupancies are permissible with consent in most R2 and R3 zones, subject to the minimum lot size and frontage in Central Coast Local Environmental Plan 2022 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 Central Coast?

The zoning, lot size, height and floor space ratio come from Central Coast Local Environmental Plan 2022; setbacks, site coverage, landscaping, privacy, parking and stormwater come from Central Coast Development Control Plan 2022. State policies such as the Codes SEPP and the Housing SEPP sit over the top.

Do you visit sites in Central Coast?

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 Central Coast.

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.