Changes to Development Services Fees and Charges register

Requests to withdraw a Development Information and Advice Service
Updates clarify how refund timeframes are applied and ensure consistent outcomes across application types. Refunds for minor change applications are now explicitly included. 

We carried out a review of our development advice and pre-lodgement meeting services and, taking into consideration feedback received from our staff and customers, have made the following changes to these services: 

• Section 3.2.2 Design Advice Meeting
  The Sunshine Coast Design Advice Meeting is now offered free of charge to encourage early engagement with Council’s design specialists. This change supports applicants to seek expert design input at an early stage, helping to improve design quality, streamline the assessment process, and reduce the need for changes later on. It reflects Council’s commitment to working collaboratively with the community to achieve better development outcomes. 
• Section 3.2.4 Pre-lodgement meeting services  
  A simplified flat fee of $1,020 now applies to pre‑lodgement meetings, allowing attendance by up to four Council officers. This replaces the previous base fee of $960 (for two planners and one specialist) plus $260 per additional officer. This change provides greater certainty upfront and supports a more coordinated, multi‑disciplinary advice in a single meeting. 
• Section 3.3 Pre-assessment
  The plan sealing pre‑assessment service has been removed due to low utilisation. Requests will be managed through existing advice and assessment processes.

• Section 4.3 Other Information and Services
  The Draft Conditions service has been discontinued, and the associated fee has been removed. Applicants will continue to receive appropriate and clearly defined conditions through Council’s standard assessment process. This change simplifies the development process by removing the need for a separate request and formal letter, making it easier for applicants to progress their applications with confidence.
  

• Section 5.1.1 & 5.1.2
  The previous two-tier fee structure for requests for building work associated with a Dwelling House, and other changes to a development approval where Council acts as a Concurrence Agency, Responsible Entity or Affected Entity has been replaced with a single fee of $980, simplifying lodgement and improving consistency. The equivalent fee for a Material Change of Use (MCU) for a dwelling house has been aligned to this lower fee.

• Section 10.2.2 Operational Work relating to landscaping
  We’ve updated how operational work fees apply to better reflect how development applications are prepared in practice. A new, clearly defined fee category has been introduced for landscaping works, particularly where these are submitted separately from civil engineering plans. This helps ensure fees are applied more consistently and transparently.
  
  Landscaping operational work is now charged based on site size:
  • Sites under 1,250 m²: $1,325
  • Sites over 1,250 m²: $1,750
• Section 10.8 Vegetation Clearing
  The vegetation clearing application fee has been standardised to a single fee of $385, removing the previous area-based variation
  
  

• Section 11.1.2 Prestart meeting and prescribed council inspections for external works not directly associated with lot creation (e.g. parks and environmental reserves)
  New fees have been introduced for prestart meetings and required Council inspections for certain external works, such as parks and environmental reserves. This ensures these services are provided consistently across different types of development. Minimum fee $940.
• Section 11.1.4 & 11.2.3 Prestart meetings relating to existing applications
  A pre-start meeting fee of $680 also applies where there are multiple operational work approvals under the same development. This aligns with existing fees for pre‑construction and additional inspections, providing a more consistent and transparent approach.
  
  

• Section 15.2.1 Minor Change involving a change to or cancelling up to five conditions or involving a change to approved plans
  Fees for making changes after approval have been simplified to make them easier to understand. A lower fee of $1,205 applies for minor changes, such as updating approved plans or modifying up to five conditions, while a higher fee applies to more complex changes.
• Section 15.2.5 Other Change of a development approval (for the extent of development proposed by the change to the approval only)
  The structure has also been clarified to reflect the level of assessment required, with minimum fees of $5,230 for code assessable changes and $7,845 for impact assessable changes. This provides greater transparency and ensures fees better align with the complexity of the application.

• Section 17.6.1 Priority inspection or re-inspection
  A new priority inspection fee of $200 has been introduced for same‑day inspection requests. This supports the delivery of timely services while encouraging compliance with the standard 48‑hour notice period. The change helps manage service demand and ensures inspections can be scheduled efficiently for all customers.