Four service areas covering the full project lifecycle — engaged individually or as a complete brief. Each can be tailored to the stage your project is at, whether that's a feasibility conversation, a Development Application (DA), a Construction Certificate (CC) or a Complying Development Certificate (CDC).
Design and documentation is the foundation of every approval. We translate concepts into well-coordinated, dimensioned documentation suited to councils, certifiers and approval authorities — whether the project is heading down a Development Application (DA), Construction Certificate (CC) or Complying Development Certificate (CDC) pathway.
Whether you're starting with a sketch, a hand-drawn plan or another consultant's documentation, we develop the drawings and supporting reports to a standard suited to the relevant approval pathway. Accessibility, fire and egress, food premises and other statutory provisions are considered at design stage rather than at submission.
The NSW Planning Portal has its own logic — strict naming conventions, mandatory document types, owner consent forms, statutory declarations and fee schedules. We manage the upload workflow end to end, so the submission can move forward cleanly regardless of who prepared the drawings.
Available as a standalone service — engaged independently of any documentation work — for clients who already have their own drawings prepared but want the submission managed. Equally available as part of a wider Design & Documentation engagement.
Project management keeps a project moving through its various stages — design, documentation, approval and delivery. We act as the single point of coordination across consultants, councils, certifiers and trades, helping the project stay on programme and within budget.
Engagement can begin at any point — feasibility, concept design, mid-documentation, after a DA approval, or once a Complying Development Certificate (CDC) has been issued. Scope is tailored to where you are and what's needed.
Consultancy covers the strategic input that shapes how a project is approached — before drawings are committed and fees are spent. Useful at the beginning of a project, when reviewing options for an existing site, or when a second opinion is needed on documentation prepared elsewhere.
Engaged as a focused review or ongoing advisory support. Output is practical and project-specific — written recommendations, comparison of pathway options, or a coordinated review of existing material.
A short reference to the pathways most often referenced in our work. The right route depends on the project, site and council — we recommend the most suitable option once the brief is reviewed.
A formal request for planning approval from the relevant consent authority — used where merit assessment is needed, such as change of use, alterations, signage and new works.
A faster, certifier-issued approval available when a project meets the conditions of the relevant State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP).
The certificate issued after a DA approval that allows construction to commence — confirms documentation complies with the BCA and the conditions of consent.
The certificate issued at the end of construction, confirming the building is suitable for occupation. Often coordinated alongside Project Management.
The Complying Development Certificate (CDC) pathway is governed by State Environmental Planning Policies (SEPPs), which list the conditions a project must meet to qualify. If your project meets those conditions, CDC is generally faster. If the project requires merit assessment, the Development Application (DA) pathway is usually appropriate.
We assess this up front and recommend the pathway most suited to the project before any documentation work begins.
A DA approval is a planning consent — confirmation that the project is appropriate for the site. It does not, on its own, authorise construction.
A Construction Certificate (CC) is the document a private certifier issues confirming that the construction documentation complies with the BCA and the conditions of consent. Construction can commence once the CC is issued.
Timeframes vary by council, project type and complexity. Many DA assessments take several weeks to several months after lodgement. Larger projects, projects requiring referral to external authorities, or projects with one or more requests for information (RFIs) can take longer.
Documentation preparation typically adds another 3 to 4 weeks before submission.
Yes — Planning Portal Submissions is offered as a standalone service. If you have your own drawings prepared by another consultant or in-house, we can manage the NSW Planning Portal workflow end to end without doing the documentation work ourselves.
Yes. We regularly come in at the Construction Certificate (CC) stage when a DA was lodged by another consultant, or take over projects already in design or documentation. Send through what you have and we'll suggest where to pick up.
For most well-defined scopes, yes. Once the brief is reviewed and the pathway is confirmed, we provide a fixed-fee proposal for the documentation phase. Council and certifier fees are passed through at cost.
Yes. We support clients across Australia with design documentation, approval coordination, planning portal submissions and project consultancy. Approval terminology and portal requirements vary between states and councils, so the documentation approach is tailored to the project location.
Send the project address, project type and where you are in the process. We'll respond with an indicative pathway and fee proposal within two business days.
info@mworxgroup.com.au · 0490 488 423
