DA and CC approvals on the NSW South Coast: a plain guide for homeowners

If you are planning to build a new home on the NSW South Coast, you will need planning approval before a builder can start work. For most custom homes in Eurobodalla Shire, that means a Development Application (DA) to Eurobodalla Council and then a Construction Certificate (CC) before construction begins. This guide explains both, why most custom homes land in the DA path, and what to expect at each stage.

Two approval paths: DA and CDC

In NSW there are two main planning approval paths for a new home. A Complying Development Certificate (CDC) is the faster option: it is issued by a private certifier, requires no council assessment, and can be approved in around 10 business days. A Development Application is assessed by your local council, involves a formal assessment process and neighbour notification, and takes longer. CDCs are available for homes that meet pre-set standards under the NSW Housing Code without variation. DAs are for everything else, and in practice that includes the majority of custom homes on the South Coast.

Most custom homes on the South Coast need a DA

The CDC path is not available for every site. In NSW, development on land rated Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) 40 or BAL Flame Zone cannot use a CDC and must go through a DA. Because a significant proportion of South Coast blocks carry BAL-40 or BAL-FZ ratings from proximity to bushland or national park, this rules out the faster path for many sites in the region. A DA is also required for flood-affected land, heritage conservation areas, and for designs that seek variation from setback or height standards. Read our guide on BAL bushfire ratings explained if you are not sure where your block sits. If your block has any of these characteristics, or if your design does not conform exactly to standard codes, the DA path applies. A design-and-build team can confirm which path applies once they have seen your block details and flood and bushfire overlay maps.

Step 1: Pre-lodgement advice

Before preparing a full DA, it is worth talking to Eurobodalla Council's planning team early. Council offers pre-lodgement advice, and for more complex proposals a formal pre-lodgement meeting where you bring draft plans and a preliminary project description. The meeting costs a fee but gives you written feedback from the assessing planner before you spend money on full documentation. For a custom home on a South Coast block with bushfire, slope, flood or coastal conditions, this step usually saves more in time and re-work than it costs.

Step 2: Design and documents

A DA package for a new home typically includes: architectural drawings (site plan, floor plans, elevations, sections); a Statement of Environmental Effects (SEE) addressing how the proposal meets the Eurobodalla Local Environmental Plan (LEP) and Development Control Plan (DCP); a BASIX certificate (NSW thermal and water sustainability assessment required for all new homes); a bush fire risk assessment or BAL assessment if the land is bushfire-prone; a flood assessment if applicable; a site analysis; and the lodgement fee. Your designer or builder prepares most of this. A BASIX certificate is commissioned online from the NSW Department of Planning; a BAL assessment is done by an accredited assessor.

Step 3: Lodge and wait for consent

DAs in NSW are lodged through the NSW Planning Portal online. Once lodged, Eurobodalla Council carries out the formal assessment: site inspection, referral to the NSW Rural Fire Service for bushfire-prone land, a neighbour notification period, and review against the Eurobodalla LEP and DCP. Between July and December 2025, Eurobodalla Council averaged 66 days to determine applications, well inside the state benchmark of 105 days. Your consent notice will set out conditions you must meet before starting and during construction. Some conditions must be satisfied before you can apply for a Construction Certificate; others are ongoing obligations through the build.

Step 4: Construction Certificate

A DA consent is planning approval. Before your builder can start work, you also need a Construction Certificate (CC). This second approval confirms that your detailed building plans, engineering specifications and materials comply with the Building Code of Australia and the specific conditions of your DA. The CC can be issued by Eurobodalla Council or by a private accredited certifier. Most builders recommend engaging a private certifier for speed. The certifier you engage becomes your Principal Certifier (PC) and oversees mandatory inspections through the build. The CC will lapse along with your DA consent if you do not physically start building work before the consent expires.

Step 5: Build with mandatory inspections

You must notify your PC at least two business days before work starts. Your PC carries out mandatory inspections at defined stages during the build, typically footings, slab, frame and pre-lining, and issues compliance certificates at each stage. For residential work valued at more than $20,000, your builder must hold Home Building Compensation Fund (HBCF) insurance before starting work or taking a deposit. This is a separate requirement from the DA and CC. A builder who cannot provide the HBCF certificate before you pay a deposit is not compliant with NSW law.

Step 6: Occupation Certificate

When construction is complete, your PC carries out a final inspection and issues an Occupation Certificate (OC). The OC confirms the building is safe and fit to occupy and is the last formal step before you move in. You cannot legally occupy a new home without one. The final inspection covers compliance with the DA consent, the CC plans and the Building Code. A well-run build resolves minor items well before the final inspection so the OC follows quickly.

South Coast conditions that affect your approval

The South Coast has a higher proportion of complex sites than most NSW regions. Bushfire-prone land is widespread across Eurobodalla, and BAL-40 or BAL-FZ ratings require specialist reports, rule out the CDC path, and add construction requirements that need to be built into the design from the start. Flood-affected land and coastal hazard zones require flood assessments and may restrict floor levels or setbacks. Steep ridgeline or sloping blocks often need retaining wall design, drainage engineering and geotechnical reports. On-site wastewater management system (OSSM) requirements apply to most rural and semi-rural blocks that are not connected to the town sewer. None of these are unusual in the region, but each one adds a report, a referral or a consent condition to your DA, and each is worth understanding and budgeting for early.

How Perrem handles approvals

Perrem manages the full planning and approvals path as part of the design-and-build process. We know which blocks in the Eurobodalla carry BAL ratings, which areas have flooding or coastal hazard overlays, and what Eurobodalla Council expects to see in a DA submission. You do not navigate the planning system on your own. Read more about how approvals fit into the project on our planning and approvals page, or see the design-and-build process step by step for how approvals fit into the broader build timeline. If you are comparing options before you commit, how to choose a builder on the South Coast covers what to verify about a builder's licence and insurance before any approvals begin. If you are ready to talk about a project, new custom home builds is the right place to start, or see what a custom home costs on the South Coast in 2026 if you are still working through the budget.