Compliance levies

We’re shaping the way compliance levies work as part of reforms to build a faster and simpler planning system.

The changes

Councils can no longer charge compliance fees or levies on development applications.

Instead, they can recover reasonable costs and expenses incurred while carrying out compliance activities from builders who have done the wrong thing.

Benefits

These changes give councils the resources they need to ensure builders are following the rules, while minimising the effect on those doing the right thing.

Councils can:

• collect $750 for costs associated with a notice of intention to issue an order
• collect the reasonable costs and expenses associated with an investigation – we have removed the previous limit of $1,000
• now list only the costs and expenses incurred when issuing the notice instead of having to provide a detailed breakdown of costs.

We continue to work with councils to make sure they have the resources to ensure compliance with planning laws at the local level.