Assessment manager
The assessment manager is the authority (usually council) that assesses and decides a development application in the Queensland and South Australian planning systems.
Ask Chalkline about this →The assessment manager is the authority responsible for assessing and deciding a development application. It is the Queensland and South Australian term for who reads and determines your application. Depending on the pathway, that is the local council, an accredited private professional, or a state body.
For most applications the assessment manager is the council. For some it is the state (for example, development that engages a state interest), and in certain streams it can be a private or accredited certifier. Whoever it is, the assessment manager:
- receives the application and can request further information,
- refers it to any referral agencies,
- assesses it against the relevant codes or the whole scheme, and
- issues the decision notice.
The role is distinct from a referral agency. A referral agency only provides input or concurrence on a specific aspect (bushfire, water, heritage); the assessment manager makes the final decision on the application as a whole.
For a builder the practical point is to know who your assessment manager is, because it determines where you lodge, who you deal with, and the process you follow. And do not confuse the assessment manager (who decides the application) with referral agencies (who add conditions on their particular concern). Both shape your approval, but only one of them grants it. See the Queensland and South Australian DA processes.
Also known as: Responsible authority (decision maker).
Category: Planning / Assessment.
Related
See also
References
- Queensland DA process (Chalkline) (verified 2026-06-01)
Last updated: 2026-06-01. Verified: 2026-06-01. Quarterly review for currency.