Concierge Development Assessment Pathway

Applications with an estimated development cost exceeding $30 million that are considered regionally significant development may apply to be assessed as a CDA application. Other local development applications with an estimated development cost over $15 million that are deemed high impact may also be considered a CDA application. 

The CDA Pathway provides:

• Guidance through complex planning pathways, including large-scale development applications and concurrent rezoning proposals.
• Dedicated support from a Principal Development Officer (Concierge) who manages the CDA from pre-lodgement to determination.
• Priority access to key meetings and the Urban Design Review Panel (UDRP).
• Coordination of referrals and concurrences between the City of Newcastle and relevant State agencies.
• Streamlined assessment and customer service, ensuring efficient processing and high-quality planning outcomes.
• Timely determination, with development applications assessed within an average of 220 days from lodgement.

The CDA Pathway will maintain integrity and credibility, through a governance framework which ensures that the merit assessment process is consistently applied.

In accordance with the Fees & Charges, the CDA assessment fee will be established at the lodgement of the first pre-lodgement meeting.

Payment for the CDA Pathway will be in stages as the application progresses and relates to resourcing and key milestones.

It is expected the applicant will:

• Provide sufficient documentation at the pre-DA stage to allow for CN's specific advice and pathway guidance.
• Respond to and provide sufficient justification to any matters raised in Stage 1 and any UDRP concerns.
• Provide all documentation identified on the DA lodgement checklist at lodgement.
• Work with CN to meet expectations in providing documentation and timely responses to information requests, in line with the required meeting dates.

Scope

• Priority access to meeting dates
• Focus on specific advice and pathway guidance
• Applicant to lodge pre-DA Planning Statement, Architectural Plans, Civil Plans
• Assessment advice including detailed DA lodgement checklist, provided within 1 week of meeting date
• Applicant to provide response to CN assessment (1 round)
• CN to provide final comments to applicant response (1 round), within 2 weeks of meeting date

Fees $4,000

Scope

• Priority access to lodgement/acceptance of DA and notification to the Hunter and Central Coast Regional Planning Panel as required
• Applicant to make timely payment of fees
• Initial review to identify any documentation issues and provide advice to applicant
• Applicant to present proposal to key CN officers (Principal Development Officer, Engineering/Heritage/Environmental Health). Meeting to be held within a week of lodgement/acceptance of the application by CN

Fees Fee covered by Stage 1

Scope

• Key CN officers to meet with applicant and provide update on assessment, key issues.
• RFI to be issued within 1 week of meeting date

Fees $4,000

Scope

• Held within 1 week of the receipt of the RFI response
• Applicant to present RFI / UDRP response to key CN Officers and identify where components are amended, or further information provided
• CN to provide initial comments and consider need for further amendments

Fees $4,000

Scope

• Meeting to resolve outstanding matters (if proceeding to determination)
• CN to issue draft conditions to applicant for information (if proceeding to determination)
• Applicant to provide 1 round of feedback (if proceeding to determination)

Fees $4,000