Assessment pathway
The assessment pathway is how development is assessed, exempt, complying/code (fast certifier track), or merit DA, which sets who decides it and how long it takes.
Ask Chalkline about this →The assessment pathway is the route a development is assessed through: exempt (no approval), complying or code assessment (a fast certifier track like a CDC), or full merit assessment (a DA). The pathway determines who decides the application and how long it takes. The same three-way shape applies across the states under different names.
Most planning systems sort development by how much assessment it needs:
- Exempt (exempt development): minor work that meets set standards needs no approval at all.
- Complying / code (complying development): development that meets all the relevant standards can be approved quickly, often by a private certifier, with no merit judgement and usually no public notification.
- Merit (DA): everything else is assessed on its planning merits by the consent authority, with notification and discretion.
Which pathway applies is set by the zone, the use, and the standards the proposal actually meets, not by its size alone.
For a builder the practical point is to work out the pathway early, because it is the single biggest driver of approval time and cost. If the design can fit the complying or code criteria, you can save months over a full DA. The flip side: a small change that tips a job from complying into merit assessment, or out of exempt altogether, can add a lot of time and uncertainty. It is often worth adjusting a design to stay in the faster pathway rather than triggering the slower one for a marginal gain.
Also known as: Approval pathway, assessment track.
Category: Planning / Assessment.
Related
See also
References
- Planning instrument hierarchy (Chalkline) (verified 2026-06-01)
Last updated: 2026-06-01. Verified: 2026-06-01. Quarterly review for currency.