Do SEE requirements change between NSW councils?

Yes. The document structure is set by Schedule 1 of the EP&A Regulation 2021 and is the same across the state, but the specific controls your SEE must address — height, FSR, setbacks, landscaping, parking, privacy — are set by your council in its own LEP and DCP. A SEE written for one council may cite the wrong standards for another. Always confirm which council area your property is in and which LEP applies.

How do I find which council my property is in?

Use the [free council zone checker](/what-zone-is-my-property-nsw) to confirm your zone and LGA from the NSW Planning Portal, or check your council rates notice or section 10.7 planning certificate. The zone checker confirms your LGA in seconds.

What if my council is not listed here?

The general SEE structure is the same for every NSW council — see the [core SEE guide](/guides/statement-of-environmental-effects-nsw). Confirm your operative LEP and DCP on the NSW legislation website, then work through the same sections. We add new council guides regularly.

Why do some councils have merged or changed names?

The NSW Government merged a number of councils in 2016. Some areas, like Auburn, are now part of a larger council (Cumberland). Others, like Canterbury-Bankstown, are new councils formed from former separate LGAs. The guide for each area states the current consent authority and the operative LEP.

SEE Requirements by NSW Council

Every NSW council assesses a Statement of Environmental Effects against its own Local Environmental Plan and Development Control Plan. The controls your SEE must address — height, floor space ratio, setbacks, landscaping, private open space, parking — are set by your council, not by a state-wide standard. A SEE that cites the wrong LEP, an outdated version, or controls from another council is one of the fastest ways to get a request for information. Use this hub to find your council and see exactly what your SEE must cover, then confirm the specific figures for your lot on the NSW ePlanning Spatial Viewer or your section 10.7 planning certificate.

Greater Sydney

Bayside — Bayside LEP 2021 and DCP — aircraft noise, foreshore and coastal constraints
Blacktown — Blacktown LEP 2015 and DCP 2015 — North West growth precincts
Burwood — Burwood LEP 2012 and DCP
Camden — Camden LEP 2010 and growth-precinct controls — Nepean River flooding
Campbelltown — Campbelltown LEP 2015 and Sustainable City DCP — Greater Macarthur growth precincts
Canada Bay — Canada Bay LEP 2013 and DCP — Parramatta River foreshore
Canterbury-Bankstown — CBCity LEP 2023 and DCP 2023 — Metro corridor, Cooks and Georges River flooding, aircraft noise
Cumberland — Cumberland LEP 2021 and DCP 2021 — formerly Auburn and Holroyd areas
Fairfield — Fairfield LEP 2013 and DCP
Georges River — Georges River LEP 2021 and DCP — foreshore and flooding
Hills Shire — The Hills LEP 2012 and DCP 2012 — Box Hill and North Kellyville precincts
Hornsby — Hornsby LEP 2013 and DCP — bushfire-prone land
Hunters Hill — Hunters Hill LEP 2012 and DCP — heritage conservation
Inner West — Inner West LEP 2022 and DCP
Ku-ring-gai — Ku-ring-gai LEP 2015 and DCP — tree and bushland protection
Lane Cove — Lane Cove LEP 2009 and DCP
Liverpool — Liverpool LEP 2008 — Georges River flooding, city centre, growth release areas
Mosman — Mosman LEP 2012 and DCP — heritage and foreshore
North Sydney — North Sydney LEP 2013 and DCP
Northern Beaches — Manly, Pittwater and Warringah LEPs — coastal constraints
Parramatta — Parramatta LEP 2023 and DCP 2023 — Metro corridor, CBD
Penrith — Penrith LEP 2010 and DCP 2014 — Nepean River flooding, release areas
Randwick — Randwick LEP 2012 and DCP — coastal and cliff constraints
Ryde — Ryde LEP 2014 and DCP 2014
Strathfield — Strathfield LEP 2012 and DCP
Sutherland — Sutherland Shire LEP 2015 and DCP 2015 — bushfire, flood and coastal
Waverley — Waverley LEP 2012 and DCP — coastal and heritage
Willoughby — Willoughby LEP 2012 and DCP
Woollahra — Woollahra LEP 2014 and DCP — heritage conservation

Hunter and Central Coast

Central Coast — Central Coast LEP 2022 and DCP
Cessnock — Cessnock LEP 2011 and DCP — mine subsidence
Lake Macquarie — Lake Macquarie LEP 2014 and DCP
Newcastle — Newcastle LEP 2012 and DCP 2012 — heritage, mine subsidence, flooding

Illawarra and South Coast

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Kiama — Kiama LEP 2011 and DCP 2020 — scenic coast and rural land
Shellharbour — Shellharbour LEP 2013 and DCP
Shoalhaven — Shoalhaven LEP 2014 and DCP — coastal, bushfire and flood
Wollongong — Wollongong LEP 2009 and DCP — coastal, escarpment and flood

Regional and Outer Metropolitan

Auburn (part of Cumberland Council) — Cumberland LEP 2021 and Auburn DCP 2013 — Parramatta Road corridor, Duck River flooding
Blue Mountains — Blue Mountains LEP 2015 and DCP 2015 — bushfire, bushland and heritage
Hawkesbury — Hawkesbury LEP 2012 and DCP — flood planning, growth centres

How to Use This Page

Confirm your council and read the specific guide for your LGA. Each guide lists the operative LEP and DCP and the local constraints your SEE must address. The guide tells you what to cover; you still need to confirm the exact height, FSR, setback and other numeric standards for your zone and lot on the NSW ePlanning Spatial Viewer or your section 10.7 planning certificate.

If you are unsure which council area your property falls in, use the free council zone checker to confirm your zone and LGA. Once you know your council, read the core guide to what a SEE must include and the full SEE requirements for the document structure every council expects.

Not every NSW council is listed yet. If your council is not here, the general SEE structure is the same — confirm your LEP and DCP on the legislation website and work through the standard SEE sections.

Key takeaways

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