Is Icon Water approval separate from Development Approval?
Yes. Getting your DA approved does not automatically mean you have Icon Water approval.
For a dual occupancy that requires a DA, Icon Water’s process generally requires pre-DA Network Protection Compliance (NPC) before the DA is lodged. Icon Water states that this NPC must be included in the planning application to the ACT Government.
This means that even after the DA has been approved, there may still be Icon Water requirements that need to be completed before construction or service works proceed.
Short Answer
Yes. Icon Water approval is separate from Development Approval (DA). A DA is obtained through the ACT Government planning process, while Icon Water separately assesses compliance with its water and sewer network requirements. For a dual occupancy, the two processes are connected, but one does not replace the other
Detailed Explanation
Icon Water's current Applications for homes and dual occupancies (with a change to our services) clearly separates its approval process from the ACT Government DA process.
At Step 4 – Lodge a pre-DA Network Protection Compliance (NPC) submission, Icon Water states that where Territory planning approval is required, pre-DA NPC must be obtained from Icon Water and included with the planning application.
At Step 5 – Lodge a Development Application (DA) with the ACT Government, the DA is lodged separately through the ACT Government development portal. Successful completion of that process results in the Development Approval.
After DA approval, Step 6 – Lodge a BA Network Protection Compliance may require another Icon Water NPC assessment. If the drawings have changed or contain more detail than the pre-DA submission, Icon Water requires a new NPC submission. Even where the drawings have not changed, a building certifier will typically lodge the NPC as part of the building certification process.
Icon Water also makes clear that NPC can still be required even where a proposal is DA-exempt and BA-exempt, demonstrating that Icon Water compliance is a separate requirement rather than something granted automatically by a DA.
No minimum block size does not remove the need for planning assessment.
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