| Pre-requisite knowledge: | Timeframe to complete: | Required materials: |
|---|---|---|
| This course does not require any pre-existing knowledge of planning or property development. it will provide guidance for a complete beginner and also sharpen the knowledge of someone more experienced. | 9-13 hours. Completely online, start or stop any time you want and pick up where you left off. | Access to the internet. Multiple tabs will be required whilst completing this course |
Course summary:
URPEC’s Development Assessment Course (NSW) will provide you with hands-on techniques and walk you through tools that are used in the field every day. It is focused on the New South Wales Planning System but the general concepts and processes are largely the same all over Australia.
Let’s be honest—half the time the NSW planning system leaves you bamboozled, confused, and buried under acronyms. What’s a clause? What’s a SEPP? And seriously—what even is a town planner? This comprehensive Development Assessment Course is here to demystify the chaos. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to sharpen your knowledge, this course walks you through the real-world processes of development in NSW. You’ll gain the tools, context, and confidence to make sense of zoning maps, LEPs, SEPPs, and all the planning jargon that comes with the job.
The course is broken down into ‘Lessons’ which include a number of ‘Topics’. Each lesson ends with an exam that applies the information you have just learnt into real-life circumstances.
What you will learn:
- A practical overview of what town planners do, why their role is critical in the NSW planning system, and how to get involved in the profession.
- The structure and purpose of the NSW State and Local Planning Framework, including key legislation, policies, and plans that guide land use and development.
- Step-by-step guides on how to conduct an initial site investigation, understanding zoning and site constraints using tools like the NSW Spatial Viewer and local council GIS mapping systems.
- How to interpret and apply Local Environmental Plans (LEPs), Development Control Plans (DCPs), and State Environmental Planning Policies (SEPPs).
- Learn about uses and permissibility and what this means.
- Guidance on preparing and lodging a Development Application (DA), including assessment of use permissibility, identifying relevant planning controls, and compiling supporting documents.
- How to calculate a prospective yield
- How to accurately calculate infrastructure charges
- Preparation of Development Application’s (for example, how to write a Development Application, what supporting documentation might be needed, building a development assessment team and more).
- The assessment process, key timeframes, and understanding different assessment pathways (exempt, complying, local, regional).
- How to identify and manage referrals, public notification, and stakeholder consultation requirements.
- Tips on effective negotiation, how to respond to Council’s Requests for Further Information (RFIs) and handling common assessment issues.
- Understanding determinations, appeal rights, and processes through the Land and Environment Court.
- Post-approval considerations, including modifications to consents, Construction Certificates, and Occupation Certificates.
- Additional planning matters such as Building Information Certificates and how to respond to development control orders.
Who wrote this course?
This course is co-presented by Sky Planning and written by their Director – Melissa Neighbour.
To start this course, scroll down and click the first ‘Lesson’ below.
