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About integrated development referrals
Some development applications (DAs) need approval (such as a permit or licence) from a NSW Government agency (also called an approval body) before a local council (the consent authority) can grant development consent. These are called integrated development. In these cases, Council will refer the DA to the relevant approval body for assessment.
There are 3 types of integrated development referrals under the Water Management Act 2000:
- Activities on waterfront land
- Take, use or obtain water (including construction of dams)
- Dewatering and groundwater interception
Who manages integrated development referrals?
The department and WaterNSW share responsibility for the assessment and approval of integrated development referrals as approval bodies under the Water Management Act 2000.
All DAs involving activities on waterfront land are referred to the department.
DAs that involve:
- taking, using or obtaining water (including construction of dams) and
- dewatering and groundwater interception
are referred to either the department or WaterNSW depending on the customer.
Integrated development approval process
The process for integrated developments referred to the department is:
- Lodge a DA and supporting documents with Council - indicate that is an integrated development (the information below will help you to determine if your development is an integrated development).
- Council refers the DA to the department for assessment before development consent is granted.
- The department reviews the proposal and may request additional information more information via Council.
- The department will approve or refuse the integrated development referral.
- If approved, General Terms of Approval (GTA) are issued. GTA outline the water licence or approval required and any conditions. GTA may also include the requirement to produce additional documentation, plans and reports.
- Council grants or denies development consent. If council approves the DA, GTA will be included in the conditions of development consent or as an attachment.
- The applicant reviews the GTA and applies to the department for a water licence or approval.
How to apply
Applications for integrated development are lodged on the NSW Planning Portal.
- Register for the Planning Portal
- Login.
- Select ‘New’ and then ‘Development Application’.
- When answering the question “Is your application for Integrated Development?” select Yes and check the box next to Water Management Act 2000.
Types of integrated development referrals
Activities of waterfront land
Development applications that involve activities on waterfront land must be lodged with Council as integrated development. After lodgement the Council will refer the application to the department for assessment and approval.
If the application is approved and Council grants consent, you must then apply to the department for a controlled activity approval.
Follow the steps below to determine if your proposed development is on waterfront land and therefore considered to be an integrated development.
- Check if your development is located on waterfront land by using the waterfront land e-tool.
- Check if your development is exempt from approval using the controlled activity exemption e-tool (exempt activities will not require referral or approval).
- Ensure the development meets the requirements of the controlled activity guidelines.
- Lodge a DA to council via the NSW Planning Portal and nominate it as an integrated development.
- Upload all supporting documents required by the department with your DA. Detailed information on the documents required is below.
- The section of the Statement of Environmental Effects - ‘Riparian corridor and waterfront land’:
- Describe how the proposal complies with the Controlled Activity Guidelines.
- Justify any non-compliance
- Address any conflict with bushfire asset protection or flood and drainage requirements
- Detailed plans that:
- define the waterfront land boundary including the top of bank of all watercourses or mean high water mark (MHWM) of any lakes or estuaries.
- show the location and type of works including any structures, drainage works, excavation and/or filling.
- provide drainage, flood and bushfire reports as needed
- Photographs of the site including upstream and downstream views
If you works involve complex in-stream reconstruction works, you also need to provide:
- current state fluvial geomorphic analysis – erosion, head cuts, bank instability and stream features
- hydrology analysis to consider flood flows and frequency – consideration of impacts to watercourse stability and suitability of vegetation planting
- hydraulic analysis of flood levels – including flood sensitivity analysis for establishment of fully structured vegetated riparian corridors
- stream energy analysis – including bed and bank shear stresses
- rock size analysis for rock revetment works
Take, use or obtain water (including construction of dams)
If your proposal involves taking or obtaining surface or groundwater, including the construction of dams, extraction of surface or groundwater, or interception of groundwater, it must be referred to the department by a council for assessment as an integrated development.
If the department approves the integrated development application you’ll need to apply for a:
- Water supply work and/or
- Water use approval
- Water access licence (as required)
More information at: Water access licences, water supply work and/or water use approvals
- Check if your development is exempt from needing a water supply work and/or water use approval and/or water access licence. Exempt activities will not require referral or approval. See water licensing and approval exemptions
- Lodge a DA to council in the NSW Planning Portal - nominate it as an integrated development
- Upload all supporting documents. Detailed information on the documents required is below.
Requirements for water supply work and/or water use approval application:
- Application form
- Review of environmental factor
- Map with property location, works location/s, watercourses and wetlands, contaminated sites
- Detailed design plans for proposed works
- Details of pumping regime and extraction requirement (ML)
- Detailed description of the purpose and use of the approval
- Aboriginal or European cultural heritage search for features on the property - use the Aboriginal Heritage Information Management System (AHIMS) Web Services to identify any Aboriginal heritage features on the property
- If applicable:
- geotechnical report
- test bore results
- acid sulphate soil management plan
Refer to the water supply work and water use approval application form for further information on the supporting documents required.
See: Changes and modifications to a DA
More information at: Water access licences, water supply work and/or water use approvals
Dewatering and groundwater interception
If your proposal involves interception and dewatering of groundwater associated with:
- mining
- construction of pipelines
- major road infrastructure
- large scale excavation for residential and industrial development
it must be referred to the department by a council for assessment as an integrated development.
If the department approves the integrated development application you will need to apply for a:
- Water supply work and/or
- Water use approval
- Water access licence (as required).
More information at: Water access licences, water supply work and/or water use approvals
- Confirm if your works will require interception of an aquifer and dewatering
- Check if your development is exempt from the need to obtain a water supply work and/or water use approval or water access licence
- Lodge the DA in the NSW Planning Portal and nominate as integrated development
- Upload all required department supporting documents with your DA. Detailed information on required documents below.
Applications for dewatering require technical assessment from the department unless it is deemed that your activities are classed as low risk and small scale.
For low risk, small scale dewatering works, you may submit your application without the additional information requirements for dewatering. The department will request this information from you if required.
Requirements for a dewatering or groundwater interception approval application:
- Application form
- Review of environmental factors
- Impact statement, hydrogeology report and Dewatering Management Plan must include the following information:
- proposed volume of take
- a detailed explanation and evidence to demonstrate the suitability of the volume estimation method
- the ground elevation across the site on a survey plan or detailed in other supporting documents
- a characterisation of the ground conditions based on site-specific intrusive investigations
- water level measurements
- the magnitude of required drawdown in water level to achieve dry conditions in the excavation
- the works proposed to be used for dewatering, described in detail (number, spacing, depth, individual discharge rates, cumulative discharge rate) and illustrated on specific plan and section diagrams
- the base level of the aquifer, preferably including bore logs
- accurate excavation footprint dimensions (length, width, bulk excavation level)
- field test results to determine the hydraulic conductivity of the lithological units present beneath the site
- the anticipated duration of dewatering pumping
othe depth of piling embedment beneath the bulk excavation level (where applicable).
Changes and modifications to a DA
If you apply to change a DA that was originally referred to the department, Council will refer the modification as well. This may result in revised General Terms of Approval. This may result in a change to the General Terms of Approval issued for the original DA.
Modifications to a development may result in the original DA becoming an integrated development where it wasn’t previously. In this case the modified DA will be referred to the department for assessment.
After Council grants development consent for a modified DA you must:
- apply to the department for a controlled activity approval, or
- if an approval was previously issued, apply to amend your controlled activity approval.