Western Sydney

Town planner in Parramatta

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

Local Environmental PlanParramatta Local Environmental Plan 2023

Development Control PlanParramatta Development Control Plan 2023

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

Planning in Parramatta

The 2023 LEP and DCP consolidated the former Parramatta, Holroyd, Auburn, The Hills and Hornsby instruments for the City of Parramatta area, so older advice about controls in Epping, Carlingford or Wentworthville is often out of date.

Dual occupancy minimum lot sizes and the Torrens subdivision rules differ between the former council areas; we confirm the clause that applies to your lot.

Heritage conservation areas around Harris Park, Parramatta and Epping and the flood mapping along Toongabbie Creek and the Parramatta River are the common constraints.

What we do for Parramatta sites

Statements of Environmental Effects for new houses, knock-down rebuilds, alterations, dual occupancies, secondary dwellings and townhouses, written to Parramatta Local Environmental Plan 2023 and Parramatta Development Control Plan 2023.
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 Parramatta

Parramatta
Westmead
Harris Park
Granville
Rydalmere
Ermington
Dundas
Carlingford
Epping
Northmead
Winston Hills
Toongabbie
Wentworthville
Constitution Hill
Telopea

How a DA works in Parramatta

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: Parramatta

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

Yes. Every development application lodged with Parramatta council through the NSW Planning Portal needs a Statement of Environmental Effects that addresses Parramatta Local Environmental Plan 2023 and Parramatta Development Control Plan 2023. Complying development certificates do not.

Can I build a duplex in Parramatta?

Dual occupancies are permissible with consent in most R2 and R3 zones, subject to the minimum lot size and frontage in Parramatta Local Environmental Plan 2023 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 Parramatta?

The zoning, lot size, height and floor space ratio come from Parramatta Local Environmental Plan 2023; setbacks, site coverage, landscaping, privacy, parking and stormwater come from Parramatta Development Control Plan 2023. State policies such as the Codes SEPP and the Housing SEPP sit over the top.

Do you visit sites in Parramatta?

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 Parramatta.

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.