Town Planner Shoalhaven
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Illawarra and South Coast
Town planner in Shoalhaven
Statements of Environmental Effects, development due diligence, duplex, granny flat, townhouse and subdivision DAs across the Shoalhaven local government area. Fixed-fee proposals, usually within one business day.
Local Environmental PlanShoalhaven Local Environmental Plan 2014
Development Control PlanShoalhaven Development Control Plan 2014
State policiesCodes SEPP (Housing Code, Low Rise Housing Diversity Code), Housing SEPP 2021, low and mid-rise housing provisions
Planning in Shoalhaven
Shoalhaven is a large, mostly bushfire prone LGA with flood mapping along the Shoalhaven River and coastal hazard lines at the beach villages.
Sewer availability and on-site wastewater capability decide whether a dual occupancy or subdivision is feasible outside Nowra, Bomaderry and Ulladulla.
Heritage conservation areas in Berry and Milton and the character controls of the coastal villages influence design.
What we do for Shoalhaven sites
- Statements of Environmental Effects for new houses, knock-down rebuilds, alterations, dual occupancies, secondary dwellings and townhouses, written to Shoalhaven Local Environmental Plan 2014 and Shoalhaven Development Control Plan 2014.
- 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 Shoalhaven
- Nowra
- Bomaderry
- Ulladulla
- Milton
- Huskisson
- Vincentia
- Sanctuary Point
- St Georges Basin
- Berry
- Culburra Beach
- Callala Bay
- Sussex Inlet
- Worrigee
- North Nowra
- Mollymook
How a DA works in Shoalhaven
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: Shoalhaven
Do I need a Statement of Environmental Effects for a DA in Shoalhaven?
Yes. Every development application lodged with Shoalhaven council through the NSW Planning Portal needs a Statement of Environmental Effects that addresses Shoalhaven Local Environmental Plan 2014 and Shoalhaven Development Control Plan 2014. Complying development certificates do not.
Can I build a duplex in Shoalhaven?
Dual occupancies are permissible with consent in most R2 and R3 zones, subject to the minimum lot size and frontage in Shoalhaven Local Environmental Plan 2014 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 Shoalhaven?
The zoning, lot size, height and floor space ratio come from Shoalhaven Local Environmental Plan 2014; setbacks, site coverage, landscaping, privacy, parking and stormwater come from Shoalhaven Development Control Plan 2014. State policies such as the Codes SEPP and the Housing SEPP sit over the top.
Do you visit sites in Shoalhaven?
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 Shoalhaven.
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.
Reading
Planning guides mentioning Shoalhaven
Dual occupancy in R2 zones across NSW: the July 2024 rule change
On 1 July 2024 dual occupancies became permissible in every NSW R2 zone. What changed, what did not, and how Sydney councils assess duplex…
7 min read
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Townhouses and terraces in R2 near town centres: the 2025 reforms
Townhouses and terraces are now permitted in R2 zones within 800 m of nominated Sydney centres and stations. The 2025 standards and exclusions explained.
7 min read
Read
Next step
Tell us about your Shoalhaven site
Send the address and your plans or concept. A URBA planner will confirm the pathway and send a fixed-fee proposal, usually within one business day.