Development Services Customer Charter

Sunshine Coast Council is committed to providing you with excellent service and processes when engaging with any area of development. Our services are consistent and accessible and provide positive experiences for our customers and value to our community. 

We do this through: 

Positive economic contribution to the region 
Responsive products and services for our stakeholders and Council 
A high-performance work environment for our staff

We welcome your applications, questions, and feedback, and are here to help you find clear and simple answers and information.

Our purpose

Our branch's purpose is to facilitate sustainable development outcomes for the liveability and prosperity of the region.

This charter outlines the Development Services Branch’s commitment to you and demonstrates what you can expect when engaging with us.

Our service standards

We aim to ensure our products and services are delivered on time while still achieving desired development outcomes. When partnering with us, you can expect our services to be managed following the relevant legislative requirements and guided by the timeframes outlined below.

Customer acknowledgement and non-development application-related queries	Enquiry or application acknowledged within 2 days.
Development advice and pre-lodgement meetings	Development advice enquiries response within 10 days. Pre-lodgement meeting held within 15 days of request Pre-lodgement meeting notes issued within 2 days of meeting date.
Property searches	Search returned within 15 days.
Planning and Operational Works applications	Priority Assessment applications decided within 10 days (when decision ready*). Code assessment decided within 3 months. Impact assessment decided within 6 months.
Engineering and environment specialist applications	Operational Work application decided within 3 months.
Building applications	Concurrence agency referral decided within 10 days.
Plumbing applications	FastTrack decided within 2 days. Standard decided within 10 days. Final Inspection certificate issued within 2 days of inspection.
Plan sealing applications	Plan sealing application processed within 20 days. Bond released within 10 days.
Planning and Development Certificates	Limited processed within 5 days. Standard processed within 10 days. Full processed within 30 days.

Note: all timeframes are business days and applicable from lodgement unless otherwise stated.

* Decision ready means after Council has confirmed that there is no information required, where the applicant has provided a satisfactory response to an information request, or where a final response has been received from a State Agency Referral and the application has entered the Decision Part.

Our commitment to you

The development requirements and process can be difficult to understand and navigate. We are committed to connecting you with the right people so that we can guide you through the process. Our aim is to provide you with the answers and information you need along your development journey, with a focus on removing any complications.

Our resolution process

We want to work with you to ensure a productive experience, but we understand processes can sometimes be complex. We therefore have open and transparent liaison processes.

We acknowledge that sometimes you may not be satisfied with the service or advice you receive from us. If this occurs, we want to be able to effectively and efficiently respond to your concerns by utilising our issue resolution process. You can find your project team contact details on your initial email from us following your application.

For more information please contact council's development services.

What we ask of you

You can help us deliver the best service to you by:

Treating our staff with courtesy and respect.
Taking responsibility for coordinating high-quality and professional information to assist us in our response.
Taking the time to visit our website, review our guidance material, understand our requirements and use the services available to get the right information.
Advising council when there are changes to your application or enquiry.
Providing all relevant information to enable council to undertake a meaningful assessment or investigation and provide the necessary advice back to you.
Maintaining open two-way communication to support a smooth assessment or investigation process
Providing constructive feedback and recognition to Council’s staff on the service received.
Providing us with constructive feedback and innovative ideas about how we can improve.

Our values

Development Services, as part of Sunshine Coast Council, aims to serve our community with excellence, respect our past, and position our region for the future.

Care - We care for people and place

Respect - We respect everyone

Trust - We trust and empower

Curious - We explore possibilities

Connected - We are better together

Council is committed to ensuring accessibility for everyone, please contact us if you require assistance on this page.