Pre-Application Meetings
A pre-application meeting provides an opportunity to discuss your proposal with planning officers before lodging a planning permit application.
These meetings can help identify key planning issues early, clarify application requirements, and reduce delays during the formal assessment process.
Pre-Application Meeting Types
Basic
Basic pre‑application meetings are generally appropriate for proposals of low to moderate complexity.
Standard
Standard pre‑application meetings are required for more complex proposals that may raise broader planning, design or amenity considerations. These meetings usually involve more detailed preliminary plans and may include internal specialist referrals.
Detailed
Detailed pre‑application meetings are required for complex or high‑impact proposals. These meetings involve in‑depth discussion of policy considerations, potential impacts, consultation requirements and specialist input.
Fees
Council applies a tiered approach to pre-application meetings — Basic, Standard and Detailed — based on the scale, complexity and potential impacts of a proposal.
Requesting a Pre-Application Meeting
To request a pre-application meeting, you must:
- A clear description of the proposal on the Pre-Application Meeting Request Form.
- A location or site plan
- Plans of the proposal
- Photos of the site and surrounds (recommended but not mandatory)
- A copy of any covenants or Section 173 Agreements (if applicable). These must be included, as they may affect the advice Council can provide.
Once your request is received, the applicable fee will be determined based on the complexity of the proposal, and an invoice will be issued via email.
Please note: The more information you provide, the better quality advice we can give. If the required documentation is not provided, we will be unable to schedule a meeting. We will contact you to request the missing information and you will have 5 business days to provide it. If this time frame cannot be met, please contact us, otherwise your request will lapse.
Next Steps
Once payment has been received, a planner will contact you within 5 business days to arrange a meeting date. For online meetings, an invitation and meeting link will be provided.
Where relevant, specialist officers (such as a Heritage Advisor or Traffic Engineer) may attend. Meeting notes will be provided within 3–5 business days following the meeting.
Please note that a pre‑application meeting does not guarantee approval of a planning permit application.
In some cases, if a proposal is straightforward, a planner may contact you by phone or email instead of holding a formal meeting. If this occurs and a fee has already been paid for a meeting or written advice, a refund will be provided.