Request copies of development application documents
This application process enables property owners to access information and plans that may be available within development applications previously submitted to Council for their property.
Before proceeding, please ensure you have read the Frequently Asked Questions below and confirm that you are the property owner.
Before submitting the application, please take note of the following information:
- Only the registered property owner can lodge an application to request copies of development application documents.
- Application fees are payable.
- The release of any available plans or documentation is subject to Council receiving copyright consent from the copyright owner authorising their release. Council will provide you with the relevant copyright owner details as part of the application process.
- For development applications predating 1993, Council cannot guarantee that any plans or documentation will be available. Where records do exist, they are typically held in Council’s historical archive system and may be of limited quality and not suitable for reproduction purposes.
- Council reserves the right to refuse access to or copying of any plans or documents on the grounds of copyright, privacy, or security considerations.
Council will undertake a preliminary review of your application to clarify the scope of your request, confirm that you are following the appropriate process, and identify what development applications and associated records may be available for the property.
Council will contact you within 5 to 7 business days to advise if any development applications are available, and if so, what the next available steps are.
To begin, submit an application form.
If the application is accepted, Council will issue a separate fee request to allow the application to progress to the next stage.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Research
$50 - Research fee (non-refundable)
- For time taken to investigate all relevant development applications
Archive retrieval fee and historical file (microfiche) investigation
$31 per development application (non-refundable)
- Retrieval of records from Council's archives or historical file (microfiche) record investigation, where required.
Printing (if required)
- A4 colour - $1.20
- A3 colour - $2.50
Step 1 – Submit the application and pay the application fees
Complete the online application form. Council will undertake an initial investigation on what development applications are registered against the property address.
At this stage, Council does not know what information, plans and documents are available in any of the development applications.
Following the submission, Council will provide with the development applications that are registered against the property address. You will then need to advise Council which development applications you wish for council to investigate.
Council will assess your enquiry and either accept or decline the application.
If the application is accepted, Council will issue a separate fee request to enable the application to proceed. The applicable fees include a research fee and a file retrieval fee. Once payment has been received, Council will investigate the nominated development applications and advise what records may be available.
Council may decline the application where no relevant development applications are registered against the property, or where the records are no longer available due to their age.
Step 2 – Council investigation and file retrieval
Once the application has been formally submitted and application fees paid, Council will investigate the property records, research historical information, and request retrieval of any available archival files.
Step 3 – Review of files and copyright information
After the research has been completed and the files have been received and reviewed, Council will provide you via email with the copyright consent details for the relevant copyright owners.
Please note that the timeframe for this stage may vary depending on the number of development applications and documents requiring review.
Step 4 – Obtain and submit copyright consent
Copyright consent must be provided to Council before plans or documentation can be released where copyright remains current.
Copyright consent must be supplied either:
- via an email from the copyright owner that includes their email signature; or
- in a letter from the copyright owner on business letterhead.
Copyright consents can be emailed to development.enquiries@cttg.sa.gov.au.
Step 5 – Collation of plans
Once the required copyright consents have been provided, Council will collate the plans and documentation for release to you.
Step 6 – Release of documentation
If you are unable to obtain copyright consent from a particular copyright owner, the plans and documentation can be separated to avoid delays in releasing other available information.
Please note that Council is not the intellectual property owner and cannot release plans where copyright remains current without written authorisation from the copyright owner.
Where files are large, the plans and documentation will be provided via a downloadable link that expires within 30 days. You will be responsible for downloading the files and saving locally on your computer or device.
The application fees are non-refundable, as it covers the time required for a Council officer to research the property, determine whether any development applications are available for retrieval from Council’s records facility, and review any development applications held on Council’s microfiche system.
Due to changes in Council’s records management systems and legislative requirements for record keeping changing throughout the years, Council can’t guarantee what will be available.
While you may be the owner of the property, you are not the owner of the intellectual property rights in the plans or associated documentation.
Council receives plans solely for assessment purposes and is not legally permitted to release or redistribute them without the consent of the copyright owner.
Once any relevant development applications have been located or microfiche records reviewed, Council will advise you of the copyright owner details and what you will need to request from them.
If the copyright owner does not consent to release the plans, you may still be permitted to view them; however, Council is unable to provide copies.
Plans are made available electronically and sent via email or a downloadable link (if it is a large file).
Council cannot guarantee that any plans or documentation predating 1993 will be available, due to historical changes in Council’s records management systems and legislative requirements.
Where records are available, they are typically held on microfiche, and the quality may be limited and not suitable for reproduction purposes.
As part of the investigation, Council will undertake a search of the property and advise what development applications are recorded against the property, including the relevant years.
Proceeding with an application to investigate development applications prior to 1993 is at your own risk.