Legislation & Guidelines

There are different levels of legislation and plans that guide Council in making decisions in regards to development. These plans have been written with the whole community in mind, and are publicly available online and off-line. To obtain paper copies, please call our Customer Service Centre on 9777 1000.

The Willoughby Local Environment Plan 1995 (WLEP 1995) provides the framework for planning in the City. The Willoughby Development Control Plan (WDCP) is a plan adopted by Council to supplement WLEP 1995 and provide more detailed design guidelines. Council will consider each application on its merits, taking into account the individual circumstance of the development in regard to site attributes, surrounding character and adjoining land uses. More rigorous standards may be required for development with significant environmental impact.

The Sydney Regional Environmental Plans (SREPs) apply to various location within the Sydney basin. Two SREPs are relevant to development within Willoughby; they are SREP No 5 - Chatswood Town Centre and Sydney Harbour Catchment REP 2005. State Environmental Planning Policies (SEPPs) deal with issues significant to the state and people of New South Wales and are made by the Minister for Planning.

There are also other guidelines and policies on things such as waste management that provide greater details on how to abide by and achieve policy and legislative requirements.

Section 94 and Section 94A of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 allows Councils to levy developers for contributions towards public amenities and services required as a consequence of development. This may be the provision of  new facilities for an area or the expansion of existing facilities where an area is growing.

Please Note: The Draft New Willoughby Local Environmental Plan 2009 (WLEP 2009) was placed on public exhibition on Thursday 25th March 2010.  The Draft WLEP 2009 is proposed to replace the existing WLEP 1995 and SREP5.  Council must have regard to this draft plan when it considers any development consent.