The all up maximum cost for us to carry out the assessment and provide the required professional engineers certificate is $396 including GST.

An initial upfront payment of $198 including GST is required for us to commence our assessment of your development.  If our assessment determines that your development will satisfy the relevant SEPP criteria then we’ll let you know the good news!  If you wish for us to proceed with that certificate, a second payment of $198 including GST will be required and we’ll issue the certificate.

In the case that your development does not satisfy the SEPP criteria with respect to flooding, we’ll also let you know.  No further payment will be required as unfortunately we can’t certify that your development satisfies the CDC flood criteria.  If your development doesn’t satisfy the CDC criteria, you will need to lodge a DA (Development Application) with your Council.

A flood control lot is defined as a lot to which flood related development controls apply in respect to developing that land, often referred to as flood prone land or flood affected land.

There are two main ways to determine if your proposed development is on a flood control lot.

1. Enquire with your local council. You can simply ring your local council and ask over the phone.  Alternatively, the council website may have an online flood mapping service which can be used to observe if your land is likely subject to flood related development controls.
2. Obtain a section 10.7 Planning Certificate from your local council (previously known as a Section 149 Certificate). This will definitively state with respect to flooding:

• If the land or part of the land is within the flood planning area and subject to flood related development controls, or;
• If the land or part of the land is between the flood planning area and the probable maximum flood and subject to flood related development controls.

A CDC Engineer’s Flood Certificate can be provided for a wide range of development including but not limited to:

• Granny Flats & Secondary Dwellings
• Alterations & Additions
• New Homes
• Swimming Pools
• Sheds & Garages
• Decks, Awnings & Pergolas

If we determine that your development doesn’t comply with the SEPP criteria, unfortunately we can’t issue a certificate and no further payment will be required.  To proceed with your development, you’ll need to lodge a Development Application (DA) with your local Council.

We’ll also tell you exactly why your development doesn’t comply.  Armed with this information, you’ll be able to make more informed planning decisions around the future development of your property.

In NSW, certain development may be undertaken as exempt or complying development if it meets the criteria of the State Environmental Planning Policy (Exempt and Complying Development Codes) 2008.  The majority of exempt and complying development types and their development standards can be found in the policy for exempt and complying development.  Your project Certifier (either council or private) will be able to guide you.

Complying development is development that goes through a fast-track planning and building approval process and can be assessed by council or a private certifier.  It is development that is specified in a complying development code (the SEPP) and meets the specified standards for that development. 

Complying development can be applicable to a variety of development including the construction of a new house or secondary dwelling (granny flat), alterations and additions to an existing residence, new industrial buildings, demolition of a building and swimming pools.

Your project Certifier (either council or private) will be able to guide you as to whether your development is likely to satisfy the SEPP.

A section 10.7 Planning Certificate was previously known as a Section 149 Certificate. The certificate provides information regarding the development potential of a parcel of land. There are 2 types of Section 10.7 Planning Certificates.

A Section 10.7(2) certificate shows the zoning of the property, its relevant state, regional and local planning controls and other property constraints such as land contamination, level of flooding and bushfire prone land.

A Section 10.7(2) and 10.7(5) certificate provides the same information as above but also includes other factors such as advice from other authorities and certain information that Council holds on a property that is relevant to the land but is not disclosed in a Section 10.7(2) certificate.