AI Disclaimer & Data Methodology

Last updated: February 2026

Scope of Use

PlotDetect is an information retrieval tool, not a compliance certifier, legal advisor, or substitute for professional planning judgment. Results identify what planning instruments say — they do not determine whether a specific proposal complies, nor do they constitute legal or professional advice.

All planning decisions affecting a development application, CDC, or heritage assessment must be made by a qualified professional who takes responsibility for that assessment. PlotDetect supports that work by reducing the time required to locate and cross-reference source provisions.

PlotDetect Does Not Use Generative AI

PlotDetect is a deterministic data retrieval system, not a generative AI tool. When you query PlotDetect for planning provisions, heritage constraints, or compliance information, the system performs structured database lookups against pre-parsed, human-verified planning documents. It does not generate, infer, or hallucinate responses.

Every result returned by PlotDetect is traceable to a specific source document, section, clause, and PDF page number. No large language model (LLM) generates or modifies the planning data you receive.

How Our Data Is Produced

PlotDetect's planning provision database is built through a structured extraction process:

  • Source documents: Development Control Plans (DCPs), Local Environmental Plans (LEPs), and State Environmental Planning Policies (SEPPs) published by NSW local councils and the NSW Government — all primary, authoritative sources
  • Live spatial data: Property zoning, heritage overlays, flood and bushfire constraints, FSR and height limits, and lot geometry are queried in real time from the NSW Planning Portal spatial API at the moment of each search — not from a cached or periodically-updated copy. This means constraint data reflects the current state of the NSW Planning Portal
  • Extraction: Provisions are extracted from source PDFs and structured into a relational database with fields for provision text, applicable zones, precincts, development types, and spatial conditions
  • Provenance: Each provision retains a citation chain back to the source document, section number, clause reference, and PDF page number
  • Spatial matching: Properties are matched to applicable provisions using PostGIS geospatial queries against precinct boundaries — not keyword inference

AI Used in Data Preparation — Not in Results

A limited and transparent use of AI occurs during data preparation only, not at query time:

  • Provision indexing: Provisions are indexed by topic (e.g., setbacks, heritage, parking, carports) to support search and discovery. This index is built using AI-assisted tagging, reviewed before production, and does not affect provision text or compliance outputs. It is equivalent to a librarian filing documents under subject headings — the documents are authoritative; the filing system is a convenience
  • Development tooling: AI tools are used in PlotDetect's internal software development process — standard practice in modern software engineering

AI outputs are human-reviewed before production use. Classification is logged and auditable. If a provision is miscategorised it may appear under the wrong topic filter — it cannot be fabricated or have its text altered. Users can always access all provisions unfiltered, so no categorisation decision can hide a relevant provision.

This approach is consistent with established practice in regulated professional tool contexts:

  • Legal research platforms (Westlaw, LexisNexis) have used AI-assisted document classification and relevance indexing for decades. Lawyers rely on them; courts accept citations found through them. The tool organises access to authoritative documents — the professional reads, applies judgement, and bears responsibility
  • NSW Planning Portal itself uses automated spatial classification to determine which planning overlays apply to a property. PlotDetect's topic indexing sits at the same layer — organising access, not making determinations
  • ISO 15489 (International Records Management Standard) explicitly accommodates AI-assisted document classification in professional and government recordkeeping contexts
  • NSW AI Assessment Framework (AIAF) distinguishes between decision-support tools (lower risk) and decision-making tools (higher risk). Topic indexing for search and discovery is squarely in the lower-risk tier — PlotDetect supports a professional's research, it does not make the determination

What This Means for Users

  • No hallucination risk: PlotDetect cannot fabricate provisions, clause references, or planning controls that do not exist in the source documents
  • Verifiable outputs: Every provision returned includes a citation you can verify against the original DCP, LEP, or SEPP document — including the PDF page number
  • Deterministic results: The same query for the same property will always return the same provisions, unless the underlying planning instrument has been updated
  • No compliance interpretation: PlotDetect presents what the planning instruments say. It does not assess whether a proposal complies, advise on how to achieve compliance, or substitute for the judgment of a qualified planning professional

NSW AI Assessment Framework Alignment

PlotDetect's architecture is designed to align with the NSW Artificial Intelligence Assessment Framework (AIAF) mandatory principles:

  • Transparency: All outputs include source citations. Users can verify any provision against the original planning instrument. AI use in data preparation is disclosed on this page
  • Accountability: PlotDetect maintains audit trails of queries and results. Data currency is tracked and disclosed. See our Audit Trail page for full details including data retention periods and verification procedures
  • Fairness: The system applies the same deterministic lookup regardless of who queries it. No algorithmic bias is introduced in a structured database query
  • Privacy and security: Query data is handled in accordance with our Privacy Policy. Infrastructure is hosted on AWS Sydney (ap-southeast-2) — data remains within Australian jurisdiction
  • Community benefit: PlotDetect aims to reduce planning assessment delays, improve compliance accuracy, and make planning information more accessible across all stakeholder groups

Limitations

PlotDetect is not a substitute for professional planning advice. While we strive for completeness and accuracy:

  • DCP provisions are amended by councils periodically. There may be a lag between when a DCP is updated and when PlotDetect reflects the change. Data currency dates are disclosed for each council
  • Some provisions involve subjective assessment criteria (e.g., "sympathetic to the streetscape character") that require professional judgement beyond what any database can provide
  • Site-specific conditions — contamination, easements, covenants, contributions plans, voluntary planning agreements — may apply and are not captured in DCP provisions
  • PlotDetect currently covers select NSW local government areas. Coverage is expanding. Contact us to confirm whether your LGA is included
  • Live NSW Planning Portal data reflects that portal's current state, which may itself have a lag behind gazette amendments or council instrument changes

Frequently Asked Questions

For planning professionals, government stakeholders, and first-time users.

Contact

Questions about our technology approach, data methodology, or suitability for a government or enterprise workflow? Contact us at info@plotdetect.com.au or for compliance and audit inquiries: compliance@plotdetect.com.au