SEPP 64 DA Applications in NSW: A Guide to Advertising and Signage Approvals
If you are proposing new advertising signage in NSW, you may have come across the term SEPP 64.
SEPP 64—Advertising and Signage was the former State Environmental Planning Policy governing advertising and signage in NSW. While SEPP 64 was repealed in 2022, its provisions were transferred into Chapter 3 of State Environmental Planning Policy (Industry and Employment) 2021. The rules themselves remain an important part of the development assessment process for many advertising and signage proposals.
For developers, property owners, advertising companies and architects, the process can involve considerably more than simply showing where a sign will go. The proposal needs to demonstrate that the signage is appropriately located, designed and integrated with its surrounding environment.
This is where a registered landscape architect can add value.
What is a SEPP 64 DA?
A SEPP 64 DA is generally used as shorthand for a development application involving advertising or signage that is assessed against the former SEPP 64 provisions, now contained within Chapter 3 of the State Environmental Planning Policy (Industry and Employment) 2021.
The policy establishes objectives for signage including ensuring that signage:
is compatible with the desired amenity and visual character of an area
provides effective communication in suitable locations
is of a high-quality design and finish
is appropriately regulated under the NSW planning system
considers advertising within and adjacent to transport corridors.
Depending on the proposal, the assessment can consider matters such as the location, scale, visual impact, surrounding development, streetscape character, heritage, road safety and the relationship between the sign and its setting.
Not every sign will necessarily require a DA. Exempt and complying development provisions may apply to some forms of signage, depending on the proposal and the relevant planning controls.
For a larger, more prominent or otherwise non-complying proposal, however, a properly prepared DA may be required.
What does the DA process involve?
Like other development applications, a signage DA needs to provide Council with enough information to assess the proposal.
The NSW Government describes the DA process broadly as:
Pre-lodgement and site investigation
Preparation of plans and supporting documentation
Lodgement through the NSW Planning Portal
Council's completeness check and notification
Assessment by Council
Requests for additional information, if required
Determination
An assessment-ready application is important. If Council requires additional information, the assessment process can be delayed while the applicant responds.
For signage proposals, this means the design and supporting documentation should be considered together rather than treating the landscape and visual aspects as an afterthought.
Where does landscape architecture come in?
At first glance, a landscape architect might not seem like an obvious consultant for an advertising DA.
But signage is ultimately a visual intervention in the public realm.
A large pylon sign, billboard, freestanding advertising structure or illuminated sign doesn't exist in isolation. It sits within a streetscape, landscape, transport corridor or commercial environment.
A registered landscape architect can help explain that relationship and demonstrate how the proposal responds to its setting.
Site and context analysis
A landscape architect can prepare a site analysis that identifies the important visual and physical characteristics surrounding the proposed signage.
This might include:
existing vegetation
street trees and landscape character
topography
adjoining development
streetscape character
views and vistas
important public spaces
pedestrian movement
surrounding land uses
heritage or environmental considerations
the relationship between the sign and existing buildings and infrastructure.
This provides Council with a clear understanding of what the sign will actually look like in its context, rather than assessing it as an isolated object.
Visual impact and integration
One of the key questions for a signage proposal is whether the sign is appropriately integrated into its surroundings.
A landscape architect can help address this through:
location and siting advice
streetscape analysis
landscape plans
planting proposals
screening strategies
visual impact diagrams
photomontages and concept perspectives
recommendations for materials, finishes and landscape treatments.
The objective isn't necessarily to hide the sign.
Rather, it is about demonstrating that the proposal has been deliberately located and designed in response to its environment.
Landscape plans
Where appropriate, a landscape plan can show how the area around the advertising structure will be treated.
This might include new trees, low planting, garden beds, groundcovers, paving, retaining elements or other landscape treatments.
A considered landscape response can help establish a stronger relationship between the advertising structure and the surrounding site.
It can also provide a practical mechanism for addressing visual impacts identified during the assessment.
A better approach to the DA
The strongest signage applications aren't simply about proving that a sign can technically fit on a site.
They explain why the sign belongs where it is.
That means considering the proposal from the beginning in terms of:
Site → Context → Visibility → Visual impact → Landscape response → Signage design
This is particularly important for prominent advertising structures, where the relationship between the sign, surrounding landscape and public realm can have a significant influence on how the proposal is perceived.
Getting this thinking into the DA documentation early can also reduce the likelihood of having to retrofit landscape responses later in the assessment process.
How Place Supply can help
Place Supply is a landscape architecture practice providing remote design and documentation support to architects, developers, planners and landscape studios across NSW.
For advertising and signage DAs, Place Supply can assist with the landscape and visual components of the application, including:
Site analysis
Landscape concept plans
Landscape documentation
Visual impact diagrams
Photomontage and presentation support
Planting and screening strategies
Streetscape analysis
Landscape design statements
Responses to Council requests for additional information
Coordination with architects, planners and other consultants.
As a registered landscape architect, I can provide professional landscape architecture input where the project requires more than simply producing a landscape drawing.
The aim is to make the landscape component of the DA clear, defensible and useful to the broader project team.
Need help with a SEPP 64 DA?
Whether you're preparing a new advertising proposal, responding to a Council request or looking for landscape architecture support for an existing signage project, Place Supply can help.
Get in touch to discuss your project, scope and the documentation you need to get your DA moving.
Note: SEPP 64 was repealed in 2022 and its advertising and signage provisions were transferred to Chapter 3 of State Environmental Planning Policy (Industry and Employment) 2021. The term “SEPP 64” remains widely used when referring to these advertising and signage planning controls.
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