The Integrated Development Assessment System (IDAS) is the process under the Integrated Planning Act 1997 (IPA) for assessing and deciding Queensland development applications for state and local government purposes.

The IDAS Process

The IDAS process involves four stages. All development applications will involve Stage 1 - Application and Stage 4 - Decision.

The stages of the IDAS are:

Stage 1 - Application

The application is lodged with the assessment manager (usually the local government).

Stage 2 - Information and referral

The development application is reviewed at this stage.

Any referrals for state purposes are completed by the applicant.

The referral agencies will carry out their own assessment. Further information may be requested about the application.

Stage 3 - Notification

A development application requiring public notification is advertised and submissions are invited from the community.

Public notification is required for:

• impact assessable development
• applications for preliminary approval under s3.1.6 of the IPA.

Stage 4 - Decision

The assessment manager makes a decision on whether the application is to be approved including any decisions of approval. The application and any submitters of the decision are advised of the decision.

Smart eDA

Smart electronic Development Assessment (Smart eDA) is an online service that transforms the Integrated Development Assessment (IDAS) process for making and preparing a development application into an interactive internet-based process.

Smart eDA is the fastest and easiest way to prepare a development application online.

Smart eDA assists applicants to:

• prepare a development application, including identifying any applicable referral agencies
• lodge development applications online(in some local government areas)
• track the progress of an application

Smart eDA supports communication between stakeholders including applicants, assessment managers and referral agencies.

Key participants in IDAS

IDAS defines the responsibilities for the respective participants in the process. Participants include:

Applicant

The applicant may be the person or company responsible for lodging the application. This could be the land owner, the developer or a consultant engaged to act on behalf of the owner or developer. IDAS requires the applicant undertaking certain actions within set timeframes.

Assessment manager

The assessment manager is responsible for receiving and assessing the application. The assessment manager is usually the local government but may be a state government agency.

An IDAS referral agency

An IDAS referral agency is usually a state government agency. There are two types of referral agency, depending on their jurisdiction for assessing the application under the IPA. A concurrence agency may direct the outcome of an application. An advice agency may only provide advice to the assessment manager about the outcome of the application. It is the responsibility of the applicant to refer the application.

Submitter

The submitter may be a person, group or organisation that makes a submission to the assessment manager about a publicly notified development application. A properly made submission secures appeal rights for the submitter.

Application requirement

An application is required if a proposal involves development that is assessable under either the planning scheme or schedule 8 of the IPA, or both. Development includes:

• carrying out building work (e.g. constructing an office building or house that includes demolition)
• carrying our operational work (e.g. laying out the roads in a new subdivision or clearing vegetation)
• reconfiguring a lot e.g. (subdivision of land)
• making a material change of use of premises (e.g. converting an existing house into an office).

Under the IPA, the default assessment category for all development is exempt (therefore no development application or approval is necessary), unless it has been declared assessable through one or both of the following:

• Schedule 8 of the IPA
• a local government’s planning scheme.

Types of development

Exempt development

Exempt development does not require an application to be made or a development permit to be issued prior to the development commencing. There are no codes or standards that must be complied with.

Self-assessable development

Self-assessable development does not require an application to be made or a development permit to be issued prior to the development commencing. The proponent must ensure the proposal complies with any applicable self-assessable codes under the planning scheme or under state legislation.

Assessable development

Assessable development requires an IDAS development application to be lodged with the assessment manager. A development permit must be issued before the development can commence.

Types of assessable development

Code assessment

For code assessment, the application is assessed for compliance with any applicable codes in the planning scheme or state IDAS code. Public notification is not required, unless the development is part of a proposal that also involves impact assessable development.

Impact assessment

Impact assessment involves a broad assessment of the potential effects of the proposal against the planning scheme, any applicable state planning policy and any other laws or standards that can be reasonably applied to the development. Public notification is required and the approval is subject to submitter appeal rights.

Deciding an application

An application may be:

• approved
• approved subject to conditions
• refused.

If an approval is subject to conditions, the conditions must be complied with for the development to be lawful. The conditions may apply to various stages of the development.