If you’re working on a development application anywhere in NSW, there’s a new player in the room. Since 1 July 2026, a single new authority has taken over the job of coordinating NSW Government input into local development assessment. If you’re a planner, developer or landowner, this may change how your project moves through the system.
Queensland has run something almost identical for 13 years. The experience there is instructive.
What’s changed
The new Development Coordination Authority (DCA) sits inside the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure. Its job is to receive and decide all the referrals that used to go out individually to different NSW Government agencies.
In practice, that means:
- Referral triggers are now grouped in a single State Environmental Planning Policy.
- Some referrals only need comment, others need the DCA’s concurrence before an application can be approved.
- The DCA has 28 calendar days to respond, with a “stop the clock” option if it requires more information
- A flat referral fee applies: $1,100 for a standard referral, $550 for a modification
For anyone managing timelines and budgets on a development application, that’s a meaningful shift in how referrals get handled.
Why Queensland’s experience matters
Queensland set up its own version of this, the State Assessment Referral Agency (SARA), back in 2013. Thirteen years on, a few lessons stand out.
A single decision-maker helps, but only with the right tools. Queensland backed SARA with a detailed set of assessment provisions (the SDAP), including clear direction on what happens when different referral requirements conflict. NSW’s equivalent document is a helpful start, but it doesn’t yet spell out how conflicting referrals get resolved. That’s a gap worth watching.
Queensland’s SARA FastTrack pathway turns around eligible referrals in 5 business days. NSW hasn’t announced anything similar for the DCA, though an initiative of this kind would likely be well-received.
Resourcing decides whether it works. SARA’s success came down to being properly resourced internally, so it could make real decisions rather than just passing paperwork between agencies. The same will be true for the DCA.
What this means for you
Town planners and consultants: you’re now dealing with one coordination point instead of several agencies, which should simplify referral management, but the lack of published guidance on resolving conflicting referrals means preparing a clear, well-evidenced case for approval matters more than ever.
Developers and landowners: the 28-day timeframe gives you something to plan around, but “stop the clock” provisions mean incomplete information can still blow out your schedule. Getting your referral information right the first time is the best way to protect your timeline.
Where we can help
We work across both the Queensland and NSW planning systems, which means we understand how SARA operates in practice and where the DCA is likely to head next. If you’re navigating a referral, weighing up an approval pathway, or want a second set of eyes on your project strategy, we’d love to have a conversation.
