Statement of Environmental Effects – Central Coast Council NSW

A Statement of Environmental Effects (SEE) is a mandatory document for most Development Applications lodged with Central Coast Council. It must demonstrate how your proposal complies with the Central Coast Local Environmental Plan 2022 and the Central Coast Development Control Plan 2022, and how it manages its environmental and planning impacts across a local government area shaped by Tuggerah Lakes, Brisbane Water, widespread flooding, and bushfire-prone hinterland.

What is a Statement of Environmental Effects for a Central Coast DA?

A Statement of Environmental Effects is the planning document that explains your proposal to council and shows how it meets every relevant planning control.

Every DA lodged with Central Coast Council that requires development consent must include a Statement of Environmental Effects. The requirement is set by Schedule 1, Part 1 of the EP&A Regulation 2021, which lists the SEE as a mandatory component of any DA. The document must address every matter likely to be relevant to the assessment of your application.

Council assesses your DA under s 4.15(1) of the EP&A Act 1979. That section requires council to consider the provisions of any applicable environmental planning instrument, development control plan, the likely impacts of the development, the suitability of the site, any submissions received, and the public interest. Your SEE must step through each of these matters and explain how your proposal responds to them.

Central Coast Council was formed in 2016 by the merger of Gosford City and Wyong Shire councils. The Central Coast Local Environmental Plan 2022 (EPI 2022-0308) replaced the former Gosford LEP 2014 and Wyong LEP 2013 with a single set of controls. It is a standard instrument plan made under the EP&A Act 1979. The Central Coast Development Control Plan 2022 provides the detailed design controls that sit beneath the LEP.

One important exception applies: the Gosford City Centre is not governed by the Central Coast LEP 2022. Instead, it falls under State Environmental Planning Policy (Precincts – Regional) 2021, Part 5.8. If your site is in the Gosford City Centre precinct, confirm the applicable controls under that SEPP before preparing your SEE.

Figure 1: Key matters your SEE must address for a Central Coast DA.

What planning controls apply to a Central Coast development application?

The Central Coast LEP 2022 sets land use zones and development standards across almost all of the LGA; the DCP 2022 adds the detailed design rules your SEE must address.

The Central Coast LEP 2022 applies to the whole Central Coast local government area except the Gosford City Centre. It covers the suburbs of Gosford, Woy Woy, the Brisbane Water villages, Wyong, The Entrance, Tuggerah Lakes, Terrigal, Avoca, Bateau Bay, and Toukley. It establishes each parcel's land use zone and the permissibility of different types of development. Before writing your SEE, confirm your zone under the LEP and whether your proposed use is permitted with or without consent.

Where a State Environmental Planning Policy is inconsistent with the Central Coast LEP 2022, the State policy prevails. This is particularly significant for land along the coast and around the lakes — SEPP (Resilience and Hazards) 2021 can affect setbacks, building envelopes, and permissible uses for coastal management land, and for bushfire-prone land it sets the framework for referral to the NSW Rural Fire Service. Your SEE should identify all applicable SEPPs at the outset.

The Central Coast Development Control Plan 2022 applies across the LGA and contains the detailed controls for setbacks, building height, landscaping, parking, stormwater, and riparian buffers. Your SEE must address the DCP provisions relevant to your proposal, explain where your design complies, and — where any variation is sought — justify why the variation is appropriate.

What are the key site constraints in the Central Coast LGA?

Tuggerah Lakes, Brisbane Water, flooding, and bushfire-prone hinterland are the Central Coast's defining constraints — your SEE must address each that applies to your site.

The Central Coast's geography — a string of coastal lakes, estuaries, beaches, and bushland hinterland — generates a distinctive and layered set of site constraints. Understanding which constraints apply to your site before writing your SEE is essential.

Tuggerah Lakes and Brisbane Water estuary foreshore — the twin defining water bodies of the Central Coast — bring foreshore setbacks, riparian buffers, and water quality controls into play for any development near the water. The LEP 2022 and DCP 2022 contain specific provisions for land adjoining the lakes and estuaries. Your SEE must address these controls directly if your site is within or adjacent to a foreshore or riparian buffer.

Open coast beaches — Terrigal, Avoca, The Entrance — are subject to State coastal management policy under SEPP (Resilience and Hazards) 2021. This policy can modify or override LEP controls for land within the coastal zone, including setbacks and building envelopes. Your SEE must identify whether your site falls within coastal management land and address the relevant State controls.

Widespread flooding is one of the Central Coast's most significant planning constraints. Large parts of the LGA are flood-affected around the Tuggerah Lakes, Brisbane Water, and low-lying creeks. If your site is in a flood planning area, your SEE must address finished floor levels, drainage, and evacuation. Flood studies and hydraulic assessments may be required as supporting documents.

Bushfire-prone land extends across much of the Central Coast hinterland. If your land is mapped as bushfire prone, new development must address the Planning for Bush Fire Protection requirements, and an RFS referral may be required. Check your planning certificate and the bushfire-prone land mapping for your site.

Additional constraints include mapped koala and biodiversity habitat under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016, acid sulfate soils on low-lying estuarine land, and heritage items, all of which require specific treatment in your SEE.

Figure 2: Common site constraints across the Central Coast LGA — lakes and coast foreshore and flooding are the primary considerations.

What types of DAs are commonly lodged with Central Coast Council?

From lakeside dwellings to coastal development and bushland residential, understanding the most common DA types helps you anticipate what your SEE needs to cover.

The most common Development Applications lodged with Central Coast Council include:

• Dwelling houses and alterations across the LGA, where the SEE must address DCP controls for setbacks, height, and siting, and foreshore or flooding constraints where applicable.
• Foreshore and lakeside development near Tuggerah Lakes, Brisbane Water, and the open coast beaches, where foreshore setbacks, riparian buffers, and coastal management controls under SEPP (Resilience and Hazards) 2021 apply.
• Flood-affected residential and commercial development in low-lying areas around the lakes and creeks, where finished floor levels, drainage, and evacuation must be addressed in the SEE.
• Bushland-fringe residential development across the hinterland, where bushfire-prone land mapping, Planning for Bush Fire Protection requirements, and biodiversity or koala habitat constraints must be addressed.

Figure 3: The most common development application types lodged with Central Coast Council.

• Central Coast foreshore or flood-affected DA · Tuggerah Lakes or Brisbane Water foreshore setback · Flood planning area and finished floor levels · Bushfire prone land check and RFS referral · Mapped koala or biodiversity habitat · Acid sulfate soils on low-lying estuarine land

Who decides a Central Coast development application?

Most Central Coast DAs are determined by council officers, but larger or more complex proposals are referred to a planning panel.

The decision-maker for your Central Coast DA depends on the nature, scale, and complexity of the proposal. Council officers determine the majority of routine DAs under delegated authority. More complex or sensitive applications are referred to the Central Coast Local Planning Panel.

Regionally significant development is determined by the Hunter and Central Coast Regional Planning Panel. The thresholds are set by the State government and typically relate to development cost, capital investment value, or particular land types. Your planning consultant can advise whether your proposal is likely to be assessed at the regional panel level.

How do I lodge a DA with Central Coast Council?

All Central Coast DAs are lodged online through the NSW Planning Portal — your SEE and supporting documents are uploaded at the time of lodgement.

Development Applications are lodged with Central Coast Council online through the NSW Planning Portal at planningportal.nsw.gov.au. You upload your plans, owner's consent, supporting documents, and your Statement of Environmental Effects, then pay the lodgement fee online.

Council registers your application, issues a formal acknowledgement, and notifies neighbours and other stakeholders where required. The application is then assessed under s 4.15(1) of the EP&A Act 1979. The assessment period varies depending on the complexity of the proposal, whether additional information is required, and whether the application must be referred to the Rural Fire Service or other agencies.

Preparing a thorough SEE that addresses all relevant matters from the outset — including foreshore, flooding, and bushfire constraints — is the most effective way to avoid delays caused by council requests for further information.