Do I need development approval?

Before you can make changes to a building or property, you may need permission from Council.

The Gympie Regional Council Planning Scheme 2013 is used to guide decisions surrounding growth and development in the region and establishes community expectations relating to:

  • what land can be used for; and 
  • how land may be developed; and 
  • whether development requires a development approval before it can occur; 
  • If a development application is required, what assessment process is required.  

If a development application/permit is not required, this means that the development is accepted development, often this can be subject to meeting certain requirements. 

Where a development approval is required, this will take the form of either code assessment or impact assessment and can be briefly summarised as - 

  • Code assessment is when a proposed development is assessed against the (typically limited number of) assessment benchmarks within the planning scheme. Such uses are typically considered appropriate on a particular site subject to meeting the applicable assessment criteria. 
  • Impact assessment can be a broader assessment and requires public notification of the development application to allow people to make submissions and can be subject to third party appeal. Such applications generally involve further assessment to determine whether they are appropriate on the subject premises. 

For information about the Development Application process, including where to view current Development Applications, click on the links below.

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