Planning Proposals

Overview of Planning Proposals

A Planning Proposal must be submitted for any development which requires an amendment to the planning controls in Council's Local Environmental Plan (LEP), which manages our urban growth and the impact of new development.

The LEP includes restrictions on land use (through zoning), as well as heritage, height and other development controls.

All Planning Proposals must also be prepared in accordance with the NSW Department of Planning and Environment's LEP Making Guidelines.

Watch our Planning Proposals information video to learn more. An abridged version of the video is also available.

Checks before you submit a Planning Proposal

We suggest all Planning Proposal applicants follow these steps: 

1. Appoint a planning consultant to review any proposed changes to the Local Environmental Plan planning controls you are seeking. This is highly recommended given the specialist nature of the application and they can advise what other professional input may be required.
2. Book a pre-application meeting to discuss your Planning Proposal with a North Sydney Council planner. A fee will be charged and minutes of the meeting will be sent to the applicant. 
3. Prepare a Planning Proposal which takes into consideration the DPE's LEP Making Guidelines, Council's comment at any pre-application meeting, any local planning studies, plans and documents outlined in Council's Planning Proposal Application Form, and depending upon the scope of change, an urban design report may be required to demonstrate how a compliant built form could be accommodated on the site under the proposed new controls.
4. Ensure you have owner/s consent for all properties to which the Planning Proposal relates.
5. Complete Council’s Planning Proposal Application Form.
6. Lodge your application through the NSW Planning Portal.

Using the NSW Planning Portal

To submit a planning proposal using the NSW Planning Portal, follow the steps below:

1. Register for a NSW Planning Portal account.

2. Ensure that you know the lot/s and DP/SP numbers of your property by searching the relevant database. Failure to provide the correct Lot and DP information may mean that your application is delayed or returned to you for completion.

3. Log in and complete your Planning Proposal application online. Upload Council's Planning Proposal Application Form and the required PDF documents and plans. Check that you submit all required documents as set out in the Planning Proposal checklist. Please keep the file size below 20MB per document.

4. Once you receive an acknowledgement and your Application Number from the Portal, you can use this to check the status of your application.

5. After lodgement in the Planning Portal, your Planning Proposal will be forwarded to Council for a preliminary completion check. Your Planning Proposal will be checked for accuracy and completeness in line with Council’s Planning Proposal Checklist and DPE's LEP Making Guideline.

6. You will be contacted by Council staff via the Portal if additional information is required to assess your Planning Proposal. You will be asked to submit this additional information through the Planning Portal.

7. If your application is considered appropriate for processing, including any additional information requested, you will be advised of the appropriate fees payable. Payment is to be made directly to Council and not through the Portal.

8. Upon receiving any additional information requested and payment of the appropriate fees, you will be advised via the Portal of Council’s acceptance of the application and be provided with Council’s reference number.

Application processing does not commence until you are advised your application is accepted and the appropriate fees are paid.

If you have trouble using the online NSW Planning Portal, please contact the NSW Planning Portal support team. 

Upon payment of required fee, you will be provided with a receipt of payment and Council’s internal reference number.

Planning Proposal application fees

Fees are calculated on the extent of change proposed to the planning controls, and the anticipated commercial or residential uplift or extent of land affected.

There are three fee levels:

• Minor - $34,080

These types of planning proposals are generally defined by requests involving less than 10% change to height or floor to space ratio (FSR), or other changes to LEP controls that are likely to be of a relatively minor nature and of lesser complexity, including requests for Schedule 1 - Additional Permitted Uses, but only where one additional use is being sought.

• Major - $73,840

These types of planning proposals are generally defined by requests involving more than 10% changes to height or floor to space ratio (FSR) and/or zoning changes, any reduction in non-residential FSR. They also include any proposal which involve a Voluntary Planning Agreement

• Complex - $113,600

These types of planning proposals are generally defined by requests involving changes to zoning, significant increases in height or floor to space ratio (FSR), or significant reductions in non-residential FSR and if implemented, will result in one or more of the following:

• the delivery of more than 300 dwellings
• the delivery of more than 25,000sqm of non-residential floor space
• affecting a site of more than 5,000sqm, or where it covers an entire street block which is less than 5,000sqm in area, and
• they include a request to enter into a Voluntary Planning Agreement.

Council-instigated planning proposals that seek to deliver endorsed policy positions are exempt from any application fees.

If you are unsure as to which fee applies, please contact Council’s Strategic Planning Department via the Customer Service Centre.

Find a Planning Proposal

After Council has reviewed a Planning Proposal and deemed any suggested changes to the Local Environmental Plan (LEP) as permissable, it will be forwarded to the Department of Planning and Environment for Gateway Determination.

Once a Gateway Determination has been issued, Planning Proposals are then publicly exhibited to seek community and stakeholder input.

The progress of current and past Planning Proposals can be found in our Development Tracker. 

You may see Planning Proposals that have not yet been reviewed by Council or put on public exhibition. 

You can also track Planning Proposals via the NSW Planning Portal. 

Development tracker

Search for a current or past development application or planning proposal on our Application Tracker website.

Find a development

Current Planning Proposals status

View progress of these current proposals below.

Proposals go through an internal Council assessment process before being referred to the DPE, before public consultation occurs, and for this reason, you may see other Planning Proposals in this tracking software that have not yet been notified in your local area.

Planning Proposals - lodged

Planning Proposals - reported to Council

PP 6/21 - 52 McLaren St, North Sydney

PP 9/22 – 17-25 Falcon St, Crows Nest

PP 4/23 - 183-185 Military Road, Neutral Bay

PP 2/23 - 601 Pacific Highway, St Leonards

Planning Proposals - subject to Rezoning Review

PP 1/23 - 1-7 Rangers Road & 50 Yeo Street, Neutral Bay

Planning Proposals - exhibition status

PP 5/23 - 115-125 Holt Avenue, Cremorne and Have your say

PP 8/21 - North Sydney Centre - height of buildings variation and Have your say

PP 5/22 - 71-89 Chandos Street, St Leonards and Have your say

PP 3/23 - Heritage listing of 50-56, 70-72 & 78-88 Parraween St, Cremorne and Have your say

Complete lists of current and archived Planning Proposals can be found in Application Tracker.