Will I Be Told If My Neighbour Lodges a DA? The New NSW Notification Rules

Often, no. Since 1 September 2026 a single statewide Community Participation Plan has set the notification rules for all of NSW, and 32 types of lower-impact development are no longer exhibited to neighbours unless they need a variation to height or floor space limits. Northern Beaches Council still lists applications on its online tracker when they are lodged, but it is now up to you to check it.

What Changed on 1 September 2026

The statewide plan replaced more than 100 separate council plans, so the same rules now apply on the Northern Beaches as everywhere else in NSW. Councils can still choose to engage more broadly, but they cannot shorten the minimum exhibition periods.

Development types that are generally no longer exhibited, provided they comply with height and floor space ratio controls, include:

• New houses of up to two storeys, and alterations and additions that keep a home at two storeys or under.
• Dual occupancies of up to two storeys, and secondary dwellings (granny flats).
• Pools, sheds, pergolas and carports.
• Attached dwellings and multi-dwelling housing of up to five dwellings.
• Subdivisions creating no more than five lots.
• Demolition, tree removal on private land and some changes to existing approvals.

The full list is in the statewide plan published by the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure.

What Is Still Exhibited

Applications that need a variation to height or floor space limits are still exhibited, as are residential flat buildings and shop-top housing, larger or higher-impact proposals and State Significant Development. Most local applications that are exhibited run for at least 14 days, and major strategic plans run for at least 60 days.

Two points are easy to miss. A comment lodged on an excluded application is not treated as a formal submission, so Council does not have to consider it. And not being exhibited is not the same as being approved: Council must still assess every application against the planning rules.

How to Keep an Eye on Your Street

• Check Council's application search regularly. Northern Beaches Council has confirmed it will keep listing applications when they are lodged. You can search by address or on a map, and filter for applications received in the past week.
• Subscribe to Council's newsletter, which links to the latest lodgements.
• Consider an alert service. Independent services will email you when an application is lodged near an address you choose.
• Look out for site signs on applications that are still exhibited.

More Low-Rise Density Is Arriving Near Town Centres

The change lands alongside the NSW Low and Mid Rise Housing reforms, which make dual occupancies, terraces and similar low-rise homes easier to build in many residential areas, particularly within walking distance of town centres. In August 2026 the Northern Beaches Local Planning Panel approved nine four-bedroom dwellings across 19A Rowan Street and 67 Elimatta Road in Mona Vale.

That site shows how the boundary works. Only part of it sat within 800 metres of the Mona Vale town centre, but an amendment to the Housing SEPP on 12 December 2025 clarified that if any part of a site is within the area, the whole site counts. Combine the two changes and a compliant two-storey dual occupancy next door may be approved without a letter ever reaching your letterbox.

What Buyers Should Check

• Read the section 10.7 planning certificate in the contract for the zoning and the controls that apply.
• Search Council's tracker for applications lodged or approved on neighbouring lots and in the street.
• Look at the lots around you. A large neighbouring block near a town centre has more potential to change.
• Ask your conveyancer or solicitor to explain anything in the contract that affects the property.

What Sellers Should Be Ready For

Buyers are increasingly running these searches themselves, so expect questions about nearby applications. NSW contracts must include a planning certificate, and if you know of an approved or lodged application next door, talk to your agent and solicitor early about how to handle it. It also helps to have approvals or certificates for past work such as pools, decks and extensions ready, because buyers and their advisers will ask for them.

How The North Agency Can Help

Our team sells and leases property in every part of the Northern Beaches, from Mona Vale to Manly Vale, and we watch what is being lodged and approved around our listings. If you are buying or selling and want to understand what is happening around a property, we are happy to talk it through, and for planning or legal advice we will point you to the right specialist.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will I be notified if my neighbour lodges a DA in NSW?

Not always. Since 1 September 2026, 32 types of lower-impact development, including two-storey houses, granny flats, pools and dual occupancies of up to two storeys, are not exhibited to neighbours unless they need a variation to height or floor space limits.

What replaced council notification rules in NSW?

A statewide Community Participation Plan, which took effect on 1 September 2026 and replaced more than 100 separate council plans. It sets minimum exhibition periods and lists the development types that no longer need to be exhibited.

How long are development applications exhibited for now?

Exhibition periods run from 14 to 60 days depending on the type. Most local applications that are exhibited run for at least 14 days, while major strategic plans run for at least 60 days.

Can I still object to a DA that is not exhibited?

You can comment, but on an excluded application your comment is not treated as a formal submission and Council is not required to consider it. Council must still assess the application against the planning rules before deciding it.

How do I track DAs on the Northern Beaches?

Use Northern Beaches Council's online application search, which lists applications when they are lodged. You can search by address or map and filter for recent lodgements, and Council's newsletter links to the latest applications.

What should I check about nearby DAs before buying a home?

Read the planning certificate in the contract, search Council's tracker for applications on neighbouring lots, consider whether the property is near a town centre where low-rise housing reforms apply, and ask your conveyancer or solicitor about anything that concerns you.