Approvals Process
How a Waterfront Approval Works on Sydney Harbour
Building or rebuilding a jetty, pontoon, pile or set of sea stairs on Sydney Harbour isn’t like renovating on dry land. Structures forward of the Mean High Water Mark sit on land the State owns, which means approval involves more than your local council — and getting the order of steps wrong is the most common reason projects stall.
We manage the whole process for waterfront homeowners across Sydney Harbour and Middle Harbour, from the first site inspection through to the finished structure. Here’s what’s actually involved.
Step 1 — Landowner’s consent from Transport for NSW
Because the land below the Mean High Water Mark is not part of your property title, your council can’t assess a development application over it until the landowner has agreed to let you lodge one. That landowner is Transport for NSW.
Consent is obtained by lodging a Transport Permission to Lodge (TPL). It isn’t approval of your project — it’s permission to apply. Skipping it, or lodging a DA before it’s in hand, is where most waterfront projects lose months.
Step 2 — Choosing the right pathway: DA or CDC
Depending on the scope of works and your site, your project may proceed either as a Development Application (DA) through your council, or as a Complying Development Certificate (CDC) — a faster pathway available where the works meet pre-set standards.
Like-for-like repairs and replacements are often simpler than new structures or extensions. We assess which pathway your project qualifies for at inspection stage, because choosing correctly at the outset is usually the single biggest factor in how long approval takes.
Step 3 — Documentation and engineering
Whichever pathway applies, the application needs to be properly supported: site and location plans, structural detail for piles, bearers, decking and pontoon connections, and any specialist reports your council or the site conditions require.
We prepare this documentation to the standard assessors expect, which reduces the requests for further information that otherwise add weeks to an assessment.
Step 4 — Assessment and determination
Your application is assessed against the relevant planning controls. We handle correspondence and respond to any queries raised during assessment, so you’re not fielding technical questions from a planner.
Step 5 — Construction and installation
Once approved, we build it — piling, jetty and pontoon works, decking, stairs and hardware, using our own team and plant. The same people who ran your approval see the structure through to handover, so nothing gets lost between the paperwork and the water.
Common questions
Do I need approval to repair my existing jetty?
Often yes. Even like-for-like repairs to structures below the Mean High Water Mark generally require consent, though the pathway may be simpler than for new works. It’s worth checking before you start rather than after.
How long does the process take?
It varies with the pathway, the council and the complexity of the site. A CDC is typically faster than a full DA. We’ll give you a realistic timeframe after inspecting your site.
Can you handle the whole thing?
Yes — TPL, DA or CDC, engineering, construction and installation. One point of contact from start to finish.
Get started
If you’re planning works on your waterfront — or you’ve been told your jetty is past repair — we’ll inspect the site and tell you what approval pathway applies and what it will cost.
Request a free quote or phone on 0477 076 076