Can I Change My Approved DA Plans?
Congratulations! Your Development Application has been approved. You have made it through the design, documentation and council approval process. But, there is a problem……
It may be that there was an error in your plans; construction issues have arisen; you have changed your mind and want to relocate a window, enlarge a deck, or change some component of the approved application.
A modification to your plans is possible, but you will need to officially modify your approved plans and Development Consent. The Environmental Planning and Assessment Act includes provisions (Section 4.55) to allow for such situations and there are a few steps to amend your DA with the key elements being:
Providing plans which specifically outline what the changes are,
Providing a planning statement which demonstrates that the application still complies with the relevant controls, and
Demonstrating that the application is still “substantially the same development”. Essentially this means you can include small changes, but you can’t do large modifications which are different to what was originally approved. For example, you can change floor plans and window and door locations, but you cannot add another storey, as that would be a different application to the one that was originally approved.
You will need a town planner to assist in working-out whether your changes fit the provisions of Section 4.55 or if a whole new Development Application is needed. A planner can also help you prepare the amendment and document compliance and aid in a speedy process through council so as not to delay your build.
Written by Sarah McNeilly, Watermark Planning
