Submissions

If you want to make a comment or an objection to a development proposal, you will need to make a submission to us by post, email or via our online submissions portal.

The City must consider all issues raised within any submission before making a decision on the application. However, some matters raised in submissions may not fall within the remit of a planning assessment as set out in the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act, 1979 and established through case law. For example, concerns around property values as a result of a proposal are often raised in submissions but are not a matter Councils can take into consideration in determining the merits of a proposal.

Please note that it is the substance or merit of the issues raised that has greater impact on whether or not a proposal is supportable, rather than the sheer number of submissions received. 

How development applications are to be notified are contained within Appendix 1 of Council’s Community Engagement Strategy.

A submission does not have to be long nor prepared by a planning professional. It can be in writing or provided verbally (if required), and should reference the development site address and application number, state the name and address of the submitter (although this is not mandatory) and clearly identify the aspects of a proposal that are of interest to the person submitting and explain why. 

Give your submission a title

Giving your submission a title helps us organise all the submissions that we receive.

If your submission is about a DA, include the application number and site address. You can find these details on the notice and other correspondence from City of Parramatta to you, or you can look up the details on the DA Tracker.

For example: Submission on the proposed development at 1 Jones Street, Suburb, DA/4/2016.

State your support or opposition as specifically as possible

For example: 'I oppose the proposed height of three storeys because it will overshadow my garden.'

Outline why you support or oppose certain aspects

For example: 'I think the height of the proposed development is excessive as it would block sunlight and breezes to neighbouring properties.'

For example: 'The proposed development is needed as there is currently insufficient housing for older people, which means locals have to move out of the neighbourhood when they retire.'

State any specific changes you would like made to the draft plan or development proposal

For example: 'The proposal should be reduced in scale and set back further from the rear boundary as this part of the proposal is directly adjacent to my bedroom.

Sign and date the submission

You need to include your name, address and email address. You can include your phone number if you want to.

If you require further assistance with your submission, Council has provided a template below to assist submitters writing a submission. The Assessing Officer is unable to assist with writing a submission. 

Your submission must be received by Council before the end of the public consultation period.

You can lodge your submission:

Online (written submission)

Via our online services portal

Online (verbal submission)

Via our verbal submissions form

Please note that the verbal submission option is being offered for those that cannot provide or may find it difficult to provide a written submission. 

Post

You can post your submission to City of Parramatta, PO Box 32, Parramatta NSW 2124

Email

You can email your submission to council@cityofparramatta.nsw.gov.au

When you send us your submission, we'll acknowledge your submission in writing.

For petitions, we will send the head petitioner an acknowledgement letter to share with the co-signatories.

Individual households represent one objection to a DA regardless of each objection received or signatures provided for that household.

How are submissions counted?

In line with advice from the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment, only unique submissions are counted. For a submission to be considered unique, it needs to be in substance unique, distinctive or unlike any other submission.

• Petitions are not considered unique submissions in line with the above advice. They will count as only one submission.
• Pro-forma or form letters, where the contents are identical to other letters, are not considered unique submissions. They will count as only one submission. 

Ten unique submissions objecting to a Development Application requires the application to be determined by the Parramatta Local Planning Panel. All submitters are invited to attend the Panel meeting. 
 

Your submission is not confidential and it may appear in documentation available to the general public.

We release submissions when a request is made in accordance with privacy laws and the relevant provisions under the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009.

When we do release a submission by law, your submission with your name and address may be made available.

If you want this information withheld, please let us know in your submission.

Submissions received will not be made available on our website.

To make a determination on a DA, we take into account matters such as:

• relevant planning instruments and codes
• the likely impacts of the development
• the suitability of the site
• all submissions
• the public interest

We are required by law to consider all DAs by the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 and related documents including the relevant state planning policies, local environmental plans and development control plans.

These frameworks provide landowners certain entitlements. For example, landowners may build residential flats on zoned land provided criteria specified in the planning documents are met.

Our planning officers determine the majority of DAs under the delegated authority of the City of Parramatta when there are no submissions.

Less than 10 submissions

Senior management can determine DAs with less than 10 unique objections and consider all relevant submissions.

We send a letter to everyone who has made a submission, advising them of the decision and information on where to locate the assessment report, which explains the reasons for the decision.

More than 10 submissions

DAs with more than 10 unique submissions are determined by the Parramatta Local Planning Panel (PLPP).

If the application is scheduled to be determined by PLPP, all those who prepared a submission will be contacted and advised of the meeting date and time. You can request to address the PLPP at the meeting.

PLPP generally meet to determine DAs on the third Tuesday of each month at 3:30pm.

PLPP meetings will be held remotely, until further notice.

Gifts and donations given to City of Parramatta councillors or to employees of the City, must be disclosed by law when you lodge a DA or a public submission objecting to or in support of a DA.

This also applies if you lodge a planning application and/or submission to the Minister or the Director General.