Planning guide
CDC vs DA: what's the difference?
By Struqt’s architects · Updated July 2026
A CDC (Complying Development Certificate) is a fast-track approval for straightforward projects that meet every pre-set standard in the state's planning codes - it combines planning and construction approval in one certificate, issued by a council or accredited private certifier, often within a few weeks. A DA (Development Application) is the standard council approval, assessed on its merits - slower and less predictable, but available to proposals that don't tick every pre-set box.
Sources: NSW Planning Portal · PlanSA - Planning and Design Code
Key takeaway: CDC trades flexibility for speed and certainty - it must be approved if you meet every standard, but a single miss (or constrained land like a heritage listing) pushes you to a DA.
CDC vs DA at a glance
| CDC (complying development) | DA (development application) | |
|---|---|---|
| Assessment type | Code-based - checked against pre-set numeric standards. If every standard is met, it must be issued; there is no discretion. | Merit-based - a council planner weighs the proposal against planning controls and can exercise judgement. |
| Typical timeframe | Often 2–4 weeks. NSW positions complying development as approvable in as little as 20 days. | Typically 6–10 weeks for straightforward proposals on a fast pathway; 12–20+ weeks for merit-assessed applications, depending on council workload and complexity. |
| Cost band | Generally lower - certifier and application fees, minimal supporting documentation, and shorter holding costs. | Generally higher - council fees scale with project value, and merit assessment usually needs more supporting reports (and sometimes neighbour notification). |
| Risk of refusal | Binary - it either complies with every standard or it cannot be issued. No negotiation, but total predictability if you comply. | Discretionary - can be approved, approved with conditions, or refused. Neighbour objections and council judgement both play a part. |
| When it applies | Straightforward projects on unconstrained land - new dwellings, alterations and additions, secondary dwellings, pools and outbuildings that meet the pre-set standards. Excluded on most heritage-listed and some overlay-constrained land. | Everything else - proposals that vary a standard, sit on constrained land (heritage, flood, bushfire), or aren't covered by a fast-track code. |
Timeframes and costs are indicative and vary by state, council and project - always check the current fee schedule and assessment targets for your council.
How to decide which one you need
Start with the land, not the project. Complying development is only available on unconstrained land - most heritage-listed properties and land affected by certain overlays are excluded before the design is even considered. If the land qualifies, the proposal must then meet every pre-set standard: height, setbacks, site coverage and lot-size minimums. Meet them all and the fast lane is yours; vary even one and the proposal needs the merit judgement only a DA provides.
A DA isn't a consolation prize. Merit assessment is how you argue for a design the codes didn't anticipate - a variation that suits your street, a response to a sloping block, a better outcome than the standard would produce. It costs time and predictability, which is why knowing your assessment pathway before you commit to a design (or a purchase) matters so much.
What each state calls it
“CDC vs DA” is New South Wales vocabulary, but every state and territory draws the same two-lane distinction between a fast, code-based pathway and a slower, merit-assessed one - under different statutory names.
| State / territory | Fast-track / code-based lane | Merit-assessed lane |
|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | Complying Development Certificate (CDC) under the Codes SEPP. Truly minor work can be exempt development - no approval at all. | Development Application (DA) to the local council. |
| South Australia | No CDC. The closest equivalents are accepted development (no planning consent needed) and the code-assessed Deemed-to-Satisfy pathway - if the proposal meets the numeric standards, consent must be granted. | Code-assessed Performance Assessment, or Restricted development for the most sensitive proposals. |
| Victoria | No CDC. VicSmart is the fast-track stream for simple planning permit applications, with a 10-business-day target. | A standard planning permit application to the local council. |
| Queensland | Accepted development needs no approval; code assessment is checked against benchmarks and must be approved if it complies. | Impact assessment - full merit assessment with public notification. |
| Western Australia | Single houses that meet the R-Codes' deemed-to-comply provisions often need no separate planning approval. | A development application to the local government for anything that varies the R-Codes. |
| Tasmania | “No permit required” or “permitted” pathways - a permitted-pathway application must be approved (conditions may apply). | Discretionary applications, which involve merit assessment and public notice. |
| ACT | Exempt development for many single-dwelling projects that meet the rules. | Merit-track (or impact-track) development applications. |
| Northern Territory | Permitted development under the NT Planning Scheme needs no development permit. | A development permit application assessed on its merits. |
Frequently asked questions
Is a CDC faster than a DA?
Yes, usually by months. A CDC is a code check - a certifier confirms the proposal meets every pre-set standard, often within 2–4 weeks. A DA is a merit assessment by council, typically 6–10 weeks for straightforward proposals and 12–20+ weeks for complex ones.
Is complying development cheaper than a DA?
Generally, yes. A CDC needs less supporting documentation, skips neighbour notification, and the shorter approval time cuts holding costs. DA fees also scale with project value, so the gap widens on bigger projects.
Can any property use complying development?
No. Complying development is excluded on most heritage-listed land and on land affected by certain overlays or constraints (for example some flood or bushfire-prone land), and the proposal itself must meet every pre-set standard - miss one and the CDC cannot be issued.
Who issues a CDC?
In NSW, either the local council or an accredited private certifier can assess and issue a Complying Development Certificate. A DA can only be determined by the council (or a planning panel).
Does South Australia have CDC?
Not by that name. SA's Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016 uses different pathways: accepted development (no planning consent), code-assessed Deemed-to-Satisfy (must be approved if it meets the standards - the closest equivalent to complying development), Performance Assessment, and Restricted development.
What happens if my project doesn't qualify for a CDC?
You lodge a DA instead. That isn't a refusal - it just means your proposal needs merit assessment, either because the land is constrained or because the design varies one of the pre-set standards.
See the likely pathway for your own block
Run any Australian address through Struqt to see the zone, overlays and likely assessment pathway - architect-reviewed, government-data-backed, across all 8 states.