You can contact the Development Coordination Authority (DCA) on email [email protected] or phone (02) 9228 2820. 

• Read more about How can I contact the Development Coordination Authority?

Please discuss this with the relevant industry association. We cannot advise whether the training course can be counted toward continuing professional development programs. 

The Department does not provide a Certificate of Attendance to those that attend a NSW Planning Portal training session. However, we can confirm your attendance to support a continuing professional development claim. 

To request this, please send an email to [email protected] with the title ‘Request for CPD confirmation’. Please include the name and date of the training you attended, along with your name. Note: This needs to match the name you registered under. We will review the training records, and where relevant confirmation your attendance.

• Read more about I recently attended a training session on the NSW Planning Portal. Can my attendance be counted toward continuing professional development?

Applications with a status of "In progress" are automatically cancelled after 28 days of inactivity.

Prior to the application being cancelled, you will receive a system-generated notification after 21 days of inactivity.

If you would like to keep the application active, please open the application and either add/edit information or review and submit the application for assessment.

Alternatively, if you no longer require the application, you can allow the application to expire or log into the NSW Planning Portal to cancel the application via the ‘Actions’ button.  Please view the How to cancel an ‘In progress’ application (PDF, 381 KB) step-by-step guide for assistance.

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You cannot re-open a cancelled application. 

You can copy the information within the cancelled application by:

1. Access the relevant ‘Cancelled’ application from the ‘Completed work’ tab on your dashboard.
2.  Open the application
3. Select the ‘Copy to new application’ button at the top of the screen. 

This will start a new application. The previously provided information will be pre-populated. You can amend or add to the information as required.

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To access the NSW Planning Portal digital services, you will need a NSW Planning Portal account. To create an account:

1. Open the NSW Planning Portal
2. Click on 'My Account' in the top right-hand corner of the screen.
3. Click the 'Create account' link to start the registration process.
4. Complete the required information.

If you require further assistance, please refer to 'How to register for a NSW Planning Portal account (PDF, 639 KB)' for step-by-step instructions. 

• Read more about How do I create a NSW Planning Portal account?

To reset your password:

1. Open the NSW Planning Portal.
2. Click on 'My Account' in the top right-hand corner of the screen.
3. Click the 'Forgot password' link.
4. Enter the email address related to your NSW Planning Portal account and click ‘Send verification code’.
5. An email will be sent to your nominated email address with a verification code. Enter the code received in your email into the secondary verification code field.
6. Once verified, select ‘Change’ and input a new password for your account. If your password is accepted, you will be able to re-login to your account.

Remember, for all passwords, the following requirements apply:

• it must be at least eight characters long
• it must have a maximum of 16 characters
• it must contain three of the four options below:
  • uppercase letters (A through Z)
  • lowercase letters (a through z)
  • numbers (0 through 9)
  • the following non-alphabetic characters can be used: ~! @ # $ % ^ & * ( ) _ + - = { } [ ] | \ : ; “ ‘ < > ? , . / 
• passwords cannot be your email address.

• Read more about How do I reset my NSW Planning Portal account password and are there any important password requirements?

It is mandatory to submit most planning applications (including development applications, complying development certificate and post-consent certificate applications) via the NSW Planning Portal (the Portal).

For other services submitting applications via the Portal is optional, dependent on the service the local council provides. At the bottom of each service page, you can find information about which councils are using the services via the Portal, but the best advice is to contact your local council directly.

Note: When you enter the site address in the application form, you will be unable to continue if the service is unavailable for the related local government area.

• Read more about Can I submit an application to any NSW council through the NSW Planning Portal, for any service?

The development types are standard across all NSW Local Government Areas. This reflects the requirements of the Standard Instrument Local Environmental Plan and other relevant legislation.

• Read more about Are the development types standard across NSW or tailored to individual council areas?

The BASIX report contains similar information to the BASIX certificate. However, the BASIX certificate is the legal document.

There is no fee payable to obtain a BASIX report, it is for information purposes only. It is a useful document to show to your builder, client, or architect to see whether intended commitments are suitable before generating a BASIX certificate.

• Read more about What is the difference between a BASIX report and a BASIX certificate?

To generate a BASIX certificate, you need to complete an online sustainability assessment using the BASIX assessment tool. The tool checks elements of a proposed design against sustainability targets for energy, thermal performance and water efficiency. Once the assessment is complete and you have paid the relevant fee, a BASIX certificate will be issued.

To generate a BASIX certificate:

1. Log into the NSW Planning Portal. Note: You will require a NSW Planning Portal account. For step-by-step instructions on how to create an account, please refer to the How to register for the NSW Planning Portal quick reference guide.
2. Select “BASIX certificate” from the new application drop-down list on your dashboard, alternatively select BASIX from the “New” menu at the top left-hand corner of the screen.
3. Input the required information and calculate your scores.
4. Pay the required BASIX certificate fee.
5. Generate the BASIX certificate.

For further instructions, please refer to the relevant Quick Reference Guide on how to create a BASIX certificate.

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