Development One Stop Shop
Pre-application Planning Forums
- Who should make an appointment for a Pre-application Planning Forum?
- Who will attend a Pre-application Planning Forum?
- What information do I need to provide and when do I provide it?
- Book an appointment?
What is a Pre-application Planning Forum?
A Pre-application Planning Forum provides a single point of contact for prospective applicants to discuss their proposal with representatives from a range of agencies involved in the development assessment process. The Forum will facilitate agencies sharing information with intending prospective applicants on their requirements and the standards of documentation that need to be included in a development application.
Appointments are available every Friday morning with the exception of public holidays and the Christmas school holiday period in December and early January.
This will facilitate a more streamlined assessment by reducing the potential for delays due to inadequate information being available to make a detailed appraisal.
Appointments are generally for 30 minutes however if the complexity of a proposal warrants additional time this can be requested when you book your appointment. The Forum is entirely confidential.
There is no limit to the number of times that you may book an appointment with the Forum during the development and design phase for your proposal. Large scale proposals may benefit from multiple appointments as the design of the development proposal progresses. Initially the Pre-application Planning Forum will only be available at the Darwin office.
The Forum is not a substitute for individual consultation with agencies on the specific details of your application that might require upfront negotiation or detailed technical knowledge. A detailed assessment of technical or design aspects of your proposal will occur during the formal assessment process established by the Planning Act after you have lodged your development application.
Download complete list of agency contacts here (PDF - 89 KB)
The Forum can provide advice only and is not a substitute for engaging qualified consultants to assist you with your proposal.
Who should make an appointment for a Pre-application Planning Forum?
Any prospective applicant can book an appointment to meet with the Forum although it may be of greater benefit to proponents of larger scale proposals due to the more complex nature of assessment requirements.
Prospective applicants can also consider making an appointment for a Pre-application Meeting with Planners
Who will attend a Pre-application Planning Forum?
The Forum will be chaired by senior professional staff from Development Assessment Services (DAS) and membership will include representatives of agencies such as:
- Department of Planning and Infrastructure;
- The relevant local council;
- Power and Water Corporation;
- Department of Natural Resources, Environment, the Arts and Sport;
- Department of Health and Families;
- Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority;
- Tourism NT;
- Others identified as necessary.
The composition of the Forum will depend on the nature and location of your proposal.
DAS will invite the relevant agencies to attend and will circulate any information that you provide to those agencies prior to your appointment. If you would like a specific agency to be invited to the Forum this should be requested when you book your appointment.
You may invite others to the Forum such as a consultant or other representatives.
What information do I need to provide and when do I provide it?
The decision on what to provide to Forum members prior to the appointment rests with you and will depend on the development and design phase of the proposal. Some prospective applicants may simply wish to brief Forum members on upcoming proposals while others may want to gain an understanding of the policies and requirements of the various agencies that will apply to the assessment of the application once lodged.
The level of advice that agencies will be able to provide will depend on the information submitted for review prior to the meeting and the amount of time agencies are given to review that information. Appointments can be booked up to two months in advance and no less than nine calendar days prior to attending the Forum.
Those wishing to have documentation circulated to Forum members must ensure the information is delivered to DAS by close of business on the Wednesday of the week before the appointment (i.e. nine calendar days prior). This will ensure that Forum members have at least one week to review the documentation provided. There are advantages to submitting documentation earlier as agencies will have increased time to identify any particular or potential issues.
Documentation can be submitted:
- On CD ROM or Memory Stick, at least 6 CDs or sticks need to be provided and all documentation must be in PDF format;
- In hard copy, at least 6 copies need to be provided, and delivered to DAS, Ground Floor, Cavenagh House, 38 Cavenagh Street, Darwin; or
- Electronically in PDF format if the file size is no greater than 5MB and emailed to das.dpi@nt.gov.au.
When submitting documentation you should include your name, contact information and the date of your appointment. Additional CD ROMs, memory sticks or hard copies may be required if the proposal for discussion is of a particularly complex nature requiring a larger Forum membership. If relevant this will be advised to you by DAS staff after you book your appointment.
Book an appointment?
Book an appointment for a Pre-application Planning Forum in Darwin via the Online Planning Appointments system
Alternatively you can book by telephone on 8999 6046.
After you book your appointment you will be contacted by Development Assessment Services staff to confirm the exact time of your appointment on your selected Friday. Appointments will generally be between 9.30 am and 11.30 am and the exact time allocated will be dependent on the number and nature of other appointments that day.