Priority residential assessment service

Get priority assessment for your residential project.

Priority Residential Assessment is a streamlined development assessment process for low-risk assessment of residential applications that are either:

Accepted to code assessment
Code assessment

The eligible application types for Priority Residential Assessment include:

Secondary Dwellings
Dual Occupancy (combined operational work)
Multiple Dwellings – up to 10 multiple dwellings (maximum 3 storey townhouse style)
Reconfiguring a Lot – maximum of 2 additional lot/s created and no new road
Dwelling House – new dwelling only (excludes extensions to existing dwellings, carports and sheds)

Applications assessed under the Priority Residential Assessment process must meet all eligibility requirements detailed within the Priority Residential Assessment guidelines.

How do I apply for priority assessment?

Step 1. Pre submission review

A pre-submission review determines:

the application's eligibility for priority residential assessment
any potential issues or missing technical reports/certifications, and
if a prelodgement meeting or technical report pre-assessment is required prior to lodgement.

Pre-submission Review Request

First check your application meets the eligibility criteria.

To commence the Priority Residential Assessment process, you must make a pre-submission review request. It must include the following:

Completed pre-submission review request form
Completed DA Form 1
Completed Priority Residential Report Template including all required code checklists
Supporting information, including all required plans and supporting technical reports/certifications.

The pre-submission review process is mandatory for all Priority Residential Assessments.
It is free of charge and expected to take no longer than 10 business days from receipt of the request.

Review of pre-submission review request

Within 10 business days from receipt of the pre-submission review request, Council will review the request to determine if the application can proceed to lodgement. Where required, a discussion can be organised with you to seek clarification on any specific questions.

Following the review you will be advised if your application is eligible for priority residential assessment.

Step 2. Lodgement

Once you receive your 'lodgement ready letter' you can lodge a Priority Residential Assessment application. Your application must include:

Completed Priority Residential Assessment form.
Completed DA Form 1.
Completed Priority Residential Report Template:
Reconfiguring a Lot
Multiple Dwelling
Dwelling House
Dual Occupancy
Completed code checklists
Supporting information, including all required plans and supporting technical reports/certifications.
PRAS – Dual Occupancy RPEQ Design Certificate
Copy of lodgement ready letter.
Applicable fee. View fees and charges

Find out how to lodge a development application

Step 3. Assessment

Council will assess your application in accordance with the requirements of the Planning Act 2016, ensuring the application complies with the applicable benchmarks of the Sunshine Coast Planning Scheme 2014.

Where council may need to issue a confirmation notice and/or an information request as part of our assessment, these timeframes apply:

confirmation notice - within 5 business days of lodgement (once properly made).
information request - (if required) within 5 business days of lodgement (once properly made) or 5 days of the confirmation notice (if issued).
applicant response to information request - within 10 business days of receipt of information request.

Given the pre-submission process, any information request is not expected to be significant and should be relatively minor in nature.
Where the 10 business day timeframe is not sufficient to respond to an information request, a minor extension of this timeframe maybe support by Council on request.
Where this information response timeframe is unable to be achieved, the application will be assessed under the standard development application process. The decision will be expedited where possible.

It is also important to note that Priority Residential Assessment does not include the draft conditions process.

Step 4. Decision

You can expect a decision on your Priority Residential Assessment application within 5 business days for a dwelling house and 10 business days for all other eligible application types, where decision ready.

Decision ready

An application is decision ready when:

the application has entered the Decision Part in accordance with the Development Assessment Rules
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.