What is the difference between Development Approval and Building Approval?
A Development Approval (DA) is about whether you are allowed to carry out the proposed development on the property. It looks at things like where the building is located, its size and height, setbacks, parking, privacy and how it affects neighbouring properties.
A Building Approval (BA) is about whether the building is designed and constructed safely and in accordance with building regulations and the National Construction Code.
In simple terms, the DA approves the development, while the BA approves the building work. Some projects may not need a DA but can still require Building Approval.
Simply put:
DA = “Can I develop this?”
BA = “Can I build it this way?”
Reference: Planning Act 2023 (A2023-18), Planning Act 2023 & Building Act 2004 (A2004-11), Building Act 2004
Short Answer
Development Approval (DA): Determines whether the proposed development is allowed under ACT planning rules.
Building Approval (BA): Determines whether the proposed building work complies with building laws and the National Construction Code.
Detailed Explanation
Development Approval (DA)
determines whether a proposed development is permitted under the ACT planning framework, primarily the Planning Act 2023 and the ACT Territory Plan. It considers planning matters such as land use, setbacks, building height, site coverage, parking, privacy and other applicable planning requirements.
Building Approval (BA)
relates to whether the proposed building work complies with the applicable building legislation and technical construction standards, including the Building Act 2004, Building (General) Regulation 2008 and the National Construction Code (NCC). It addresses matters such as structural adequacy, fire safety, health, amenity and construction requirements.
Development Approval and Building Approval are separate processes. A project may require both, and obtaining Development Approval does not by itself authorise building work to commence.
No minimum block size does not remove the need for planning assessment.
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