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Planning and Development Certificates

An overview

A planning and development certificate (PDC) issued pursuant to the Planning Act 2016, gives varying levels of important planning and approval information relating to a property. There are three types of PDC, each containing particular levels of detail. Depending on the type requested, a PDC can have many valuable uses for a prospective purchaser, developer or solicitor, including formal confirmation of:

  • The zoning and planning scheme provisions applying to the land
  • Current development approvals 
  • Unpaid infrastructure charges or court decisions affecting the property
  • The status of compliance with development approval conditions or infrastructure agreements

The Planning Regulation 2017 sets out the level of information to be given and timeframes for provision of each certificate.

Types of planning and development certificate available

Council offers the following: 

  • Limited planning and development certificate
  • Standard planning and development certificate
  • Full planning and development certificate
Certificate typeWhat is included
Limited planning and development certificateThis certificate provides general planning information relating to the property, including:
  • general planning scheme provisions, including zoning and overlays
  • variation approvals
  • temporary local planning instruments
  • infrastructure charges register information
  • designations
  • state planning instruments applying to the property
Standard planning and development certificateInformation provided in a standard PDC is more detailed. It includes all information provided in a limited PDC, as well as:
  • development approvals (including planning and building approvals*) that are in effect, and also any changes to those approvals
  • details of decisions to amend a planning scheme
  • exemption certificates
  • judgments or orders of the Planning and Environment Court or Development Tribunal
  • agreements to which Council or a referral agency is a party about a condition of the development approval
  • infrastructure agreements
  • proposed planning scheme amendments
  • master plans

* building approvals issued after 30 April 1998.

Full planning and development certificateInformation provided in a full PDC is the most comprehensive, and includes all information provided in a limited and standard PDC, as well as:
  • a statement about the fulfilment or non-fulfilment of each condition of a development approval
  • details of infrastructure agreements and securities
  • advice of prosecutions or proceedings for a development offence

Which planning and development certificate best suits my needs?

You should seek independent legal advice on your particular circumstances and the nature of your property enquiries.

Further information

Please see our planning and development certificate fact sheet or FAQs for further information.

The latest version of the Planning Act 2016 is available at the Office of the Queensland Parliamentary Counsel website.