Exempt Development

Minor development work that does not require approval is known as ‘Exempt Development’. For a detailed explanation of 'Exempt Development' refer to Section 76(2) of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979.

Exempt development can be undertaken if it satisfies the requirements under either:

  • State Environment Planning Policy (Exempt and Complying Development Codes) 2008 ("Codes SEPP"); or
  • Section 2.2 of Council's Development Control Plan No.1 or Development Control Plan No.2.

If the same 'exempt development' category is specified in both the Codes SEPP and Council's Development Control Plan (DCP), the controls in the DCP do not apply to that development.  The development standards in the Codes SEPP prevail. 

General Requirements under the Codes SEPP

There are some preconditions before any work can be considered Exempt Development, under the policy.

  • General requirements for exempt development - Clause 1.16
  • Land-based requirements for exempt and complying development - Clause 1.19

Refer to the 'Exempt Development Categories' section below to learn about the specific exemptions for different building works.

General Requirements under Council's Development Control Plan

  • General & land based requirements for exempt development  - Section 2.1.2.1 - What is Exempt Development?
  • Specific requirements for exempt development categories - Section 2.1.2.2 -Schedule 1 - Exempt Development

Refer to the 'Exempt Development Categories' section below to learn about the specific exemptions for different building works.

Exempt Development Categories

Outlined below are the Exempt Development Categories available under both the Codes SEPP and Council's Development Control Plans:

Access ramps

Advertising Signs

Aerials and antennae

Air-conditioning units

Animal Shelters

Automatic teller machines

Aviaries

Awnings, blinds and canopies

Balconies, decks, patios, pergolas, terraces and verandahs

Barbecues

Bed and breakfast accommodation

Bollards

Bridges & Staircases

Cabanas, cubby houses, ferneries, garden sheds, gazebos and greenhouses

Carports

Change of use of premises

Clothes hoists and clothes lines

Communications dishes (radio and satellite)

Demolition

Driveways

Earthworks and retaining walls

Emergency Works

Evaporative cooling units (roof mounted)

Fences

Garbage bin storage enclosure

Hard stand spaces

Heating Appliances

Home businesses, home industries and home occupations

Home-based child care

Hot water systems

Landscaping structures

Letterboxes

Minor building alterations (external)

Minor building alterations (internal)

Pathways and paving

Pet Cages & Kennels

Playground equipment

Portable swimming pools and spas and child-resistant barriers

Privacy screens

Public Meetings

Rainwater tanks

Recreational Facilities

Residential Office

Scaffolding, hoardings and temporary construction site fences

Screen enclosures

Shade structures

Signage (replacement of identification signs)

Skylights, roof windows and ventilators

Solar water heaters and solar collection cells

Street & Park Furniture

Temporary builders’ structures

Water features and ponds

Water Heaters

Wind Monitoring Towers

Email a friend…Close this form

* Mandatory fields