Since 1 July 2026, the NSW Government’s input on local development applications has been channelled through the Development Coordination Authority (DCA), a new authority within the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure created by the Planning System Reforms Act 2025. For DAs and modifications lodged on or after that date, integrated development, concurrence and consultation requirements are collectively called “referrals”, and the provisions have been consolidated into Chapter 4 of State Environmental Planning Policy (Planning Systems) 2021. The DCA now issues the general terms of approval for integrated development, including bush fire safety authorities, water approvals, Aboriginal heritage impact permits and Heritage Act approvals. It responds to referrals with a single consolidated answer, generally within 28 calendar days. For developers of subdivisions, townhouses and larger residential projects, that changes who you deal with, the fees and the timing, but not the need for the underlying studies.
Key takeaways
- For DAs and modifications lodged on or after 1 July 2026, State agency referrals go to the DCA through the NSW Planning Portal; applications lodged earlier continue under the old referral provisions.
- The DCA issues general terms of approval for integrated development in place of agencies such as the Rural Fire Service (bush fire safety authorities), DCCEEW (water approvals and AHIPs) and the Heritage Council.
- Referral authorities have 28 calendar days to respond, starting when the council refers the application and any fee is paid; the clock pauses for requests for information, and council may determine if no response arrives in time.
- Referral fees are $1,100 per unique referral for most DAs and $550 per unique referral for section 4.55(2) modifications, with no fee for section 4.55(1) or (1A) inputs or Sydney Water and Hunter Water referrals.
- Sydney Water’s building plan approvals and Section 73 Compliance Certificates are not affected; the DCA takes over only Sydney Water’s consultation role on consent conditions.
Who this is for: developers and builders lodging DAs for subdivisions, townhouses or houses on bushfire prone, flood-affected, heritage or waterfront land in Western Sydney, the Central Coast, the Hunter and regional NSW, who need to plan referral timeframes and costs under the July 2026 system.
What is the Development Coordination Authority?
The Department’s July 2026 fact sheet for councils describes the DCA as a one-stop shop for NSW Government inputs on planning matters. It centralises decisions and advice that were previously referred to multiple State agencies, through a single front door, for DAs, local plan-making, State significant projects and State significant rezonings. Commentary on the commencement notes that the DCA is effectively the Planning Secretary acting in a different capacity, staffed by departmental officers, and that it draws on internal technical expertise or the relevant agency depending on the referral.
The first commencement of the Planning System Reforms Act on 15 December 2025 formally established the DCA. It took on its statutory functions, including issuing general terms of approval, on 1 July 2026, when a further proclamation, the Environmental Planning and Assessment Amendment (Development Coordination Authority) Regulation 2026 and a SEPP amendment on concurrences and consultations took effect.
Which approvals does the DCA now handle?
| Approval or input | Previously | From 1 July 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Bush fire safety authority (integrated development, for example residential subdivision of bushfire prone land) | NSW Rural Fire Service | DCA issues general terms of approval |
| Water Management Act 2000 approvals (for example, works near a watercourse) | DCCEEW (Water) | DCA |
| Aboriginal heritage impact permit (integrated) | DCCEEW | DCA |
| Heritage Act 1977 approvals for State listed items (integrated) | Heritage Council | DCA, except where a council holds a Heritage NSW delegation |
| Sydney Water consultation on consent conditions | Sydney Water | DCA; building plan approval and Section 73 unchanged |
| Hunter Water consultation | Hunter Water | DCA |
| Traffic generating development and development near rail corridors (Planning Systems SEPP Chapter 4) | Transport for NSW and rail authorities | DCA for these listed matters |
| Works authorisation deeds for classified roads (Roads Act 1993) | Transport for NSW | Unchanged; still Transport for NSW |
| Airports, Defence, electricity suppliers and other non-State bodies | Those bodies | Unchanged; councils refer directly |
The underlying agency approvals that follow development consent, such as a controlled activity approval being issued after consent, are still required. What changes is the single point of contact and the consolidated response during assessment.
How does a referral work now?
- The applicant identifies referrals. The Planning Portal now requires applicants to identify the referrals that apply and the provisions that trigger them, using the consolidated list in the State Referral Provisions document.
- Referral check. Before formally referring, the council nominates referrals and requests a check. The DCA has two business days to confirm the referrals and whether the necessary documents (for example, a bush fire assessment report) have been provided. If it does not respond, the council can proceed.
- Formal referral and fee. The council refers through the Portal. The 28 calendar day clock does not start until any referral fee is paid by the applicant.
- Requests for information. If the DCA needs more information, including public submissions, it asks through the Portal and the clock pauses until the information arrives.
- Consolidated response. The DCA issues one response covering general terms of approval, concurrences and consultation advice.
- No response in time. If no response is received within 28 days, the council may proceed to determine the application.
Amendments matter. A DA amended during assessment generally needs to be re-referred unless the council considers the amendment will not affect the referral authority’s assessment, and a re-referral starts a new 28 day period. For DAs lodged before 1 July 2026, a non-minor amendment accepted after that date changes the lodgement date and moves the application into the new framework.
What do referrals cost?
The fee structure for DAs and modifications lodged on or after 1 July 2026 is set out in the Department’s fact sheet: $1,100 for each unique referral for most DAs, $550 for each unique referral for modifications under section 4.55(2), and no fee for inputs on section 4.55(1) or 4.55(1A) modifications or for referrals under the Sydney Water Act 1994 or Hunter Water Act 1991. Re-referring under the same provision does not attract another fee. A subdivision on bushfire prone land near a watercourse might trigger two or more unique referrals, so build those fees into the DA budget alongside the council fee.
What this means for planning a project
The DCA does not reduce the evidence needed. A bush fire assessment report against Planning for Bush Fire Protection 2019, a riparian assessment, an Aboriginal heritage due diligence report or a heritage impact statement still has to be prepared, and the referral check is designed to catch missing documents early. The benefits are a single contact, a standard 28 day clock and one consolidated response instead of several. The DCA does not currently give formal pre-lodgement advice for local development; councils remain the first point of contact, with informal DCA engagement considered case by case for complex proposals.
One more change is useful for developers. Where a consent condition requires something to be done to the DCA’s satisfaction and the DCA is not satisfied, there is a new right to ask the DCA to review that decision under Division 8.2 of the EP&A Act, in addition to the existing appeal rights.
Definitions
- Development Coordination Authority (DCA)
- The authority within the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure, established under Division 2.3B of the EP&A Act, that coordinates State inputs on development and plan-making.
- Referral
- Since 1 July 2026, the collective term for integrated development, concurrence and consultation requirements on a DA or modification.
- Integrated development
- Development that needs a separate approval under another Act, such as a bush fire safety authority, for which general terms of approval are issued during the DA.
- General terms of approval
- The conditions the approval body sets for an integrated development, which the council includes in the consent.
- State Referral Provisions
- The Department’s consolidated guidance listing referral provisions and when each applies.
Frequently asked questions
Does the RFS still assess bushfire subdivisions?
For DAs lodged from 1 July 2026, the DCA issues the general terms of approval for bush fire safety authorities, drawing on technical expertise as needed. Applications lodged earlier continue under the previous arrangements.
How long does a DCA referral take?
Referral authorities have 28 calendar days from formal referral and payment of any fee. The clock pauses for requests for information, and the council may determine the application if no response arrives in time.
Does the DCA replace Sydney Water’s Section 73 process?
No. Building plan approvals and Section 73 Compliance Certificates stay with Sydney Water. The DCA only takes over Sydney Water’s consultation role on conditions of consent.
What does a DCA referral cost?
$1,100 per unique referral for most DAs and $550 for section 4.55(2) modifications, with no fee for section 4.55(1) or (1A) inputs or Sydney Water and Hunter Water referrals.
We identify referral triggers at the due diligence stage, coordinate the specialist reports the DCA will expect, and set out the referral provisions clearly in the DA through our subdivision planning and Statement of Environmental Effects services. If your project involves bushfire, water, heritage or other State referrals, request a fee proposal.
Sources and references
- NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure, What’s changed for councils from 1 July 2026 (fact sheet, August 2026), accessed October 2026
- NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure, Information sheet: First commencement of the Planning System Reforms Act 2025, accessed October 2026
- Mills Oakley, Development Coordination Authority starts 1 July 2026, accessed October 2026
- Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979, Division 2.3B and section 4.46 Integrated development, accessed October 2026
Information disclaimer. This article is general planning information prepared by the URBA Planning Team and is current at the date of publication. It is not planning, legal or financial advice for any specific property. Planning instruments, development control plans, state policies and the National Construction Code are amended regularly and councils interpret them differently; the controls quoted here should be confirmed against the versions in force at the date of lodgement and against the consent authority’s current requirements. Reliance on this article is at the reader’s own risk. URBA Planning, a division of Contrive Consultants Pty Ltd, accepts no liability for loss arising from its use. For advice on a specific site, contact URBA for a fee proposal.