What Councils Really Want in a DA Landscape Plan (and How to Avoid Delays)

Development Applications (DAs) are often where great projects stall. For architects, designers, and developers, it’s not usually the bold design moves or the big-picture vision that slow things down—it’s the details. One of the most common sticking points? Landscape plans.

Local councils across NSW (and beyond) are tightening their requirements around landscape documentation. More than ever, they want to see plans that are clear, compliant, and aligned with both regulatory frameworks and community expectations. If you’re running a busy studio, you already know the challenge: every extra round of council requests means lost time, strained budgets, and frustrated clients.

So what exactly are councils looking for in a DA landscape plan—and how can you avoid costly delays?

1. Clarity and Legibility

Council assessors aren’t landscape architects. They’re reviewing multiple projects every week, often under time pressure. What they need most is clarity:

• Simple, legible drawings that show the relationship between built form, planting, and open space.

• Clear plant schedules with Latin and common names.

• Readable scales, north points, and annotations (no guesswork).

Tip: A well-structured drawing set saves time not only for council but for your own team when questions arise later in the project.

2. Compliance with Planning Controls

Each council has its own Development Control Plans (DCPs), but common requirements include:

• Deep soil zones to support long-term canopy growth.

• Private open space minimum dimensions.

• Tree protection measures for existing significant trees.

• Stormwater and permeability considerations.

If these aren’t addressed up front, your DA will almost certainly bounce back with a request for further information.

Tip: Embed compliance checks into your workflow. A freelance landscape architect can quickly audit your drawings against council requirements before submission.

3. Planting That’s Practical (and Approved)

Councils are increasingly attentive to planting palettes. They’re looking for:

• Locally appropriate species that support biodiversity.

• Low-maintenance choices that align with long-term sustainability.

• Canopy trees that contribute to urban cooling targets.

A DA plan doesn’t need to resolve every planting detail, but it does need to show intent—and demonstrate that the proposal won’t burden future maintenance or contradict local greening strategies.

4. Integration with Architecture and Engineering

Landscape drawings don’t sit in isolation. Councils want evidence that the design is coordinated with architectural, civil, and stormwater documentation. Inconsistent setbacks, mismatched levels, or unresolved retaining details are red flags for assessors.

Tip: Outsourcing landscape documentation can help reduce in-house coordination time. A remote support service can review your architectural set and align the landscape plans before submission.

5. Evidence of Professional Input

Some councils (including the City of Sydney) are now requesting that DA landscape plans be prepared or endorsed by an AILA Registered Landscape Architect. Even where this isn’t strictly mandated, submissions that show professional input tend to move through the system faster.

For studios managing lean teams, bringing in a registered landscape architect on a freelance basis is a cost-effective way to meet these requirements without adding to overheads.

Avoiding Delays: The Smart Approach

At the end of the day, councils want confidence: that the proposed development will enhance the public realm, meet planning controls, and stand the test of time. To avoid delays:

• Submit complete, compliant, and coordinated plans the first time.

• Leverage specialist support rather than overextending your core team.

• Treat the DA stage as an investment, not a box-ticking exercise—getting it right saves months down the track.

How Place Supply Can Help

At Place Supply, we provide flexible, freelance landscape architecture support to studios across Australia. Whether you need a full DA landscape package or simply a compliance review before submission, we deliver:

• Drawings tailored to council requirements.

• Seamless integration with your architectural documentation.

• Registered landscape architect input—without the overhead of hiring in-house.

If your studio is looking to keep projects moving, budgets tight, and councils on side,

outsourcing your DA landscape plans could be the difference between approval and delay.

👉 Get in touch today to discuss how we can support your next submission.