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DA exhibition and notification rules NSW: who, when, how long

NSW DA exhibition and notification: 14-day standard, 28-day designated/advertised, council DCP matrices, signage requirements, Pattern Book CDC.

By Dan Waring. Last updated 23 May 2026. Verified 23 May 2026.

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TL;DR

Standard DAs in NSW require a 14-day public notification period, set by the council’s Community Participation Plan under the EP&A Act. Designated development and advertised development both require 28 days. Nominated integrated development also typically runs 28 days. On top of the written notice, many councils require a sign on the site during the exhibition window. Missing that sign requirement is a separate compliance failure, even if you’ve sent all the letters. For Pattern Book CDCs (introduced September 2025), a 14-day pre-application neighbour notification is required before lodgement.

What this article is for

If you’re building or advising on a NSW DA, you need to know when notification starts, how long it runs, who receives it, and what physical obligations come with it. The rules aren’t all in one place: the EP&A Act sets the framework, the EP&A Regulation 2021 sets the minimums, and each council’s Community Participation Plan (CPP) or DCP notification matrix adds the detail. This article pulls those layers together.

Related: DA process NSW for the full submission sequence, and DCPs for how council-specific controls work alongside the state framework.

Who gets notified

The short answer: whoever the council’s CPP or DCP notification matrix says gets notified.

The EP&A Act 1979 (Schedule 1, Part 2) requires councils to prepare a CPP that specifies who is notified for each class of development. In practice, this almost always includes:

  • Adjoining owners (land that shares a boundary with the subject lot).
  • Opposite owners (land directly across a road from the subject lot).
  • Broader catchment where the development has potential for heightened impact. Common triggers: height variation, FSR variation, demolition with a heritage flag, work near a foreshore, or classified road frontage.

Council determines the catchment from its notification map in the LEP or from the DCP notification matrix. Some councils use a fixed buffer distance (commonly 20-40 m for residential DAs, more for larger projects). Others rely on the assessment officer’s judgement for impact radius.

Notice is sent to the owner of each notified lot, not the occupant, unless council’s CPP specifies both. The NSW Planning Portal generates the notification list once the application is accepted.

Notification periods

Development categoryMinimum notification periodAuthority
Standard DA (advertised development)14 daysEP&A Regulation 2021, Schedule 1 CPP minimum
Designated development28 daysEP&A Act 1979, s4.18
Advertised development (if council CPP requires it)28 daysCouncil CPP
Nominated integrated development28 daysEP&A Act 1979, s4.47
State significant development28 daysEP&A Regulation 2021

The 14-day minimum is just that: a minimum. Council’s CPP can and often does extend it. Some councils run a standard 21 or 28 days on all residential DAs regardless of category. Always check the CPP for the relevant LGA before advising a client on assessment timelines.

The clock starts from the date the last written notice is sent (or the exhibition commences if it starts later). Submission must be received before the exhibition closes, not postmarked by that date.

Notification methods

Four methods are used in NSW, sometimes in combination:

1. Written notice to owners

The standard method. Council sends a written letter (or email, if council and the recipient have agreed) to the owner of each notified property. It must identify the DA number, the description of the proposal, the exhibition dates, and how to make a submission. EP&A Regulation 2021, clause 49 sets the content requirements.

2. Sign on the site

Required for many DA categories by the council’s CPP. The sign must be displayed on the site boundary facing the primary road, visible to passers-by, and maintained for the full exhibition period. Typical content requirements: DA number, applicant name, description of the proposal, council’s name, and submission deadline. Councils commonly specify minimum font sizes (12pt for body text is common; some specify larger for the DA number heading). Check council’s CPP for the exact dimensions and content. Failure to display the sign when required is a standalone compliance issue: it does not restart the notification period, but council may require it to be rectified before determination.

3. Newspaper advertisement

Required for designated development and, in some LGAs, for advertised development. The advertisement must appear in a newspaper circulating in the area. For designated development, this is mandatory under the EP&A Act 1979, s4.18. The ad must run before the exhibition period closes. Where newspaper advertising is required, the 28-day period typically starts from the date of publication.

4. NSW Planning Portal listing

All accepted DAs are published on the NSW Planning Portal (planningportal.nsw.gov.au), where documents are publicly accessible and submissions can be lodged online. This is not a substitute for written notice; it is an additional channel that runs automatically once the application is accepted.

Pattern Book CDC pre-application notification (Sept 2025)

The Pattern Book CDC pathway (introduced under the Housing SEPP for low-rise medium-density designs) added a mandatory pre-application neighbour notification step from September 2025. Before lodging a Pattern Book CDC, the applicant must:

  1. Give written notice to owners of adjoining and opposite lots.
  2. Allow a 14-day response window.
  3. Record any objections received and address them (or document the reasons for not adopting changes) before lodgement.

This is not a formal exhibition: council has no role during this period. It is a neighbour engagement step designed to surface design issues before the CDC is lodged. The CDC NSW article covers the broader CDC pathway.

What can go wrong

GotchaWhat happensHow to avoid it
Assuming 14 days applies to all DAsDesignated and advertised development need 28 days. Missing this extends assessment timelines and can result in a determination being challenged.Check the development category against the EP&A Act and council’s CPP before advising on timelines.
Missing the sign-on-site obligationIf the CPP requires a site sign and none is displayed, council can require rectification. The exhibition period does not restart automatically, but it can cause delays and complaints.Read the CPP notification requirements before lodgement. Arrange the sign before the exhibition commences.
Assuming the clock starts on lodgementThe clock starts when council accepts the application and commences exhibition, not when you hit submit. Completeness checks can add days or weeks.Lodge a complete application. Check the status on the NSW Planning Portal.
Late submissionsSubmissions after the exhibition closing date are not automatically excluded, but council has discretion. Some councils have strict cutoffs; others accept late submissions with a note.Know the deadline. If you need an extension, contact council before the closing date and request one in writing.
Amended drawings triggering re-notificationIf the applicant amends the proposal during assessment, council may re-notify affected parties. This restarts the clock for the amended proposal.Front-load design resolution before lodgement. Avoid material amendments post-lodgement.
  • DA process NSW: The full step-by-step sequence, including how notification fits into the assessment timeline.
  • DCPs: How council-specific notification matrices work within the DCP, and how they layer on top of the CPP minimums.
  • LEPs NSW: How the notification map in the LEP defines the catchment for some development categories.
  • Objections and submissions: What happens to neighbour submissions once the exhibition closes.
  • Planning instrument hierarchy: How the EP&A Act, Regulation, SEPP, LEP and DCP sit relative to each other on notification rules.

References

See also

Last updated: 2026-05-23. Verified: 2026-05-23. Quarterly review for currency.

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