Regional NSW

Town planner in Bathurst

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

Local Environmental PlanBathurst Regional Local Environmental Plan 2014

Development Control PlanBathurst Regional 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 Bathurst

Bathurst's heritage conservation area covers the historic city grid, and the DCP sets character controls for infill and dual occupancies within it.

Kelso, Laffing Waters and Eglinton are the release areas, and the Macquarie River and Raglan Creek flood planning areas affect low-lying lots.

Rural-residential lots around Perthville and Abercrombie bring lot size and effluent questions.

What we do for Bathurst sites

Statements of Environmental Effects for new houses, knock-down rebuilds, alterations, dual occupancies, secondary dwellings and townhouses, written to Bathurst Regional Local Environmental Plan 2014 and Bathurst Regional 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 Bathurst

Bathurst
Kelso
West Bathurst
Windradyne
Eglinton
Llanarth
Abercrombie
Raglan
Perthville
Gormans Hill
Mount Panorama
Laffing Waters

How a DA works in Bathurst

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: Bathurst

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

Yes. Every development application lodged with Bathurst council through the NSW Planning Portal needs a Statement of Environmental Effects that addresses Bathurst Regional Local Environmental Plan 2014 and Bathurst Regional Development Control Plan 2014. Complying development certificates do not.

Can I build a duplex in Bathurst?

Dual occupancies are permissible with consent in most R2 and R3 zones, subject to the minimum lot size and frontage in Bathurst Regional 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 Bathurst?

The zoning, lot size, height and floor space ratio come from Bathurst Regional Local Environmental Plan 2014; setbacks, site coverage, landscaping, privacy, parking and stormwater come from Bathurst Regional Development Control Plan 2014. State policies such as the Codes SEPP and the Housing SEPP sit over the top.

Do you visit sites in Bathurst?

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 Bathurst.

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.