City of Gold Coast provides limited, standard and full planning and development certificates (PDC) in accordance with the requirements of section 265 of the Planning Act 2016 and schedule 23 of the Planning Regulation 2017.
We also provide standard and full town planning certificates in accordance with the requirements of section 18Q, schedule 2 of the Local Government (Robina Central Planning Agreement) Act 1992 (RCPA).
PDCs provide potential property owners, lawyers and property developers with information about:
- Planning Scheme provisions
- Infrastructure Charges or Agreements
- Development approvals in effect for a specific premises.
Council's fee structure for PDCs is primarily based on land valuation. The lower fee applies for properties valued under $1,000,000 and the higher fee applies for properties with a value of $1,000,000 and greater.
There is another exception for sites which contain only a single detached dwelling, the lower fee applies in all instances. This fee arrangement also applies to all properties identified under the Planning Act 2016 (Planning Act) and the Local Government (Robina Central Planning Agreement) Act 1992 (RCPA).
If you are uncertain of the current land value of the property, please review the property valuation on the Queensland Government's Land Valuation website. Alternatively, contact the PDC team directly via email planningsearches@goldcoast.qld.gov.au who can help in confirming the correct fees payable before lodgement. A certificate request will be placed on hold until the correct fees have been paid and receipted.
Limited planning and development certificates
A Limited PDC contains:
- a summary of the provisions of any planning scheme or charges resolution applying specifically to the premises
- the way in which an applicable temporary local planning instrument suspends or otherwise affects the operation of a planning scheme provision
- the way in which any variation approval in effect for the premises varies the effect of a planning scheme provision
- a description of any State planning instrument applying to the premises
- a description of any designations applying to the premises
- a copy of any information recorded for the premises in the infrastructure charges register
Standard and Full PDCs provide copies of valid development approvals in effect for the premises.
Standard planning and development certificates
A Standard PDC contains all the information within a Limited PDC and includes a copy of:
- a copy of every decision notice or negotiated decision notice for a development approval in effect for the premises
- details of any changes made to the development approval or of any approval given to extend the currency period of a development approval in effect for the premises
- a copy of any deemed approval notice relating to the premises (where the development approval has not lapsed)
- a copy of every continuing approval mentioned in Section 6.1.23(1)(a) to (d) of the repealed IPA
- details of any decision to approve or refuse an application to amend a planning scheme made under s4.3 of the repealed Local Government (Planning & Environment) Act 1990 (e.g. rezoning application)
- a copy of every compliance certificate in effect at the time the Standard PDC is given
- a copy of any effective exemption certificates for development on the premises
- a copy of any judgement or order of the Planning and Environment Court or a tribunal about a development approval in effect or a condition included in a compliance certificate in effect
- a copy of any agreement to which the local government or a referral agency is a party about a condition of the development approval
- a copy of any infrastructure agreement applying to the premises to which the local government is a party
- a description of each amendment proposed to be made by the local government to its planning scheme that has not yet been made at the time the certificate is given
- a copy of each master plan applying to the premises
- a copy of any decision notice for a change to a rezoning condition
A Standard PDC does not provide any information regarding the compliance or fulfilment of development approval conditions.
Full planning and development certificate
A Full PDC contains all the information within a Limited and Standard PDC and includes:
- a statement about the fulfilment or non-fulfilment of each condition of a relevant approval currently in effect at a stated day after the certificate was applied for
- details of the nature and extent of any obligations under an infrastructure agreement to which the local government is a party to which has not been fulfilled
- details of any securities required under the agreement
- details of any prosecution or proceedings for a prosecution for a development offence in relation to the premises that the local government is aware of.
The access details section must be completed for the purpose of a Full PDC.
If you are looking to establish a chronology of development approvals in effect for the property, please refer to the planning and development certificates information section in the application form.
If you have any questions or queries, please contact the planning and development certificates team via email on planningsearches@goldcoast.qld.gov.au
You cannot fast track a planning and development certificate.
Fees
Fees are payable for all search requests.
Pay fees online by credit card on submission. Please see the Register of fees & charges for details of the fees and refund conditions. Alternatively, download the Search request fees and charges(PDF, 74KB)
If you would like to pay by account, use the Application for credit account form(PDF, 86KB) to apply for a Business Partner account.
Cancellation fees may vary depending on the progress of a requested search. If you need to cancel a search, submit a request by email to search@goldcoast.qld.gov.au.