How to Use PlotDetect

Quick Start Guide - February 2026

Quick Start

  1. 1

    Enter Your Property Address

    Search using your street address in the Inner West LGA (Ashfield, Leichhardt, or Marrickville areas). PlotDetect will automatically retrieve property data from the NSW Planning Portal.

  2. 2

    Review Your Approval Pathways

    At the top of the assessment page, see which approval pathways are available: Pattern Book CDC (10 days), Exempt & Complying, Housing SEPP, or Standard DA (50+ days). PlotDetect shows the fastest available pathway first.

  3. 3

    Navigate the Tabs

    Use the SEPP & LEP tab for state-level controls and pathway eligibility, then the DCP Provisions tab for local council requirements specific to your property.

Understanding Approval Pathways

Pattern Book CDC (10-Day Approval)

The fastest pathway introduced by the NSW Government in July 2025. If eligible, you can get approval in 10 days using one of eight architect-designed templates.

What PlotDetect checks:

  • 217 exclusion triggers - heritage items, conservation areas, flood/bushfire prone land, threatened species, etc.
  • 199 numeric standards - lot frontage (min 12m), area (min 300m²), depth (min 18m)
  • 9 override rules - bushfire and flood assessments can enable conditional eligibility

Results:

  • ELIGIBLE: You can proceed with Pattern Book (10-day approval)
  • CONDITIONAL: You can proceed if you obtain required assessments (e.g., bushfire attack level report)
  • INELIGIBLE: You must use a different pathway (usually Standard DA)

Note: Heritage properties are automatically excluded - click "View Heritage Provisions" to see the DCP heritage controls that apply.

Exempt & Complying Development

Standards for development that may proceed as complying development on your property (no DA required, but certifier approval needed).

What PlotDetect shows:

  • Actionable standards filtered to your zone (R1/R2/R3/R4 = Part 3, R5/RU = Part 3A)
  • Work types: Deck/Balcony, Fence, Carport, Pool
  • Each standard shows the SEPP reference and PDF page link for verification

Important: Meeting Exempt & Complying standards alone does not guarantee approval - check DCP tab for local council controls that also apply.

Housing SEPP (Low-Mid Rise)

Streamlined assessment pathway for low-mid rise housing in R1-R4 zones (2-6 storeys depending on location).

What PlotDetect checks: Zone eligibility and applicable numeric standards from SEPP (Housing) 2021.

Standard Development Application (50+ Days)

When faster pathways aren't available (usually due to heritage, environmental constraints, or complex projects), you'll need a Standard DA.

What PlotDetect shows:

  • All DCP provisions filtered to your property's zone, precinct, and constraints
  • Organized by topic: Setbacks, Heights, FSR, Landscaping, Parking, Heritage, etc.
  • Heritage properties get heritage-specific provisions plus general provisions
  • Every provision shows its DCP part, clause, and PDF page number

Navigating the Interface

Left Panel: Property Summary

Shows property data from the NSW Planning Portal:

  • Zone code (e.g., R1, R2, R3) and land use table
  • Heritage status (item or conservation area)
  • Environmental constraints (flood, bushfire, acid sulfate soils)
  • Height and FSR limits from the LEP
  • Lot dimensions (frontage, area, depth)

Tab 1: SEPP & LEP (State-Level Controls)

This tab contains:

  • Approval Pathways Summary - Shows all four pathways (Pattern Book, E&C, Housing SEPP, Standard DA) with eligibility status
  • Pattern Book CDC Eligibility - Detailed results of 217 exclusion checks, 199 numeric checks, 9 override rules
  • Exempt & Complying Standards - Filtered to your zone, organized by work type
  • Housing SEPP Requirements - If applicable to your zone
  • CDC Compliance Calculator - For checking capacity calculations
  • Land Use Zoning - Permitted/prohibited uses from the LEP
  • Apartment Design Guide - State-level design standards
  • BASIX Requirements - Climate/energy compliance

Tab 2: DCP Provisions (Local Council Controls)

This tab shows all local council (Inner West DCP) provisions that apply to your property:

  • Filtered automatically - Shows only provisions for your zone, precinct, and constraints
  • Organized by topic - Setbacks, Heights, FSR, Heritage, Landscaping, Parking, etc.
  • Heritage-specific - If your property is in a Heritage Conservation Area, you'll see both general and HCA-specific provisions
  • PDF page links - Every provision shows the source DCP part, clause, and page number with a link to view the PDF page image

Tip: Use the topic filters at the top of the tab to narrow down provisions by category.

Understanding Your Results

🛡️ Compliance-Grade Guarantee

Every provision, every exclusion trigger, and every numeric standard shown by PlotDetect is extracted deterministically from the source legislation - no AI interpretation. This means:

  • No hallucinated provisions (every provision exists in the actual DCP/SEPP)
  • Complete provenance chain (provision → document → section → PDF page)
  • Verifiable at source (click any PDF page link to see the exact wording)

📊 Data Currency

Look for "Updated [Month] 2026" badges throughout the interface. These show when data was last refreshed from source documents. Property data (zones, heritage, constraints) is queried live from the NSW Planning Portal at the moment of your search.

⚠️ Important Legal Disclaimer

PlotDetect presents DCP, LEP and SEPP provisions as published by relevant authorities. It does not constitute planning advice. Users should verify provisions against current council instruments and seek professional advice for development applications.

  • PlotDetect does not interpret provisions or assess whether your specific proposal complies
  • PlotDetect does not guarantee completeness - some provisions may involve site-specific conditions or recent amendments
  • Always verify critical decisions against the current version of source documents and consult qualified professionals before lodging applications

Common Workflows

Checking Pattern Book Eligibility

  1. Enter your address and view the assessment page
  2. Look for the "Approval Pathways Summary" card at the top of SEPP & LEP tab
  3. If Pattern Book shows "Eligible", expand the Pattern Book card below to see full analysis
  4. If "Ineligible", click the blocker to see which exclusion triggered (usually heritage)
  5. For heritage properties, click "View Heritage Provisions" to navigate to applicable DCP controls

Finding Fence/Deck/Pool Standards

  1. Go to SEPP & LEP tab
  2. Find "Exempt & Complying Development Standards" section
  3. Click the work type button (Deck, Fence, Carport, Pool)
  4. Review the actionable standards for your zone
  5. Note: Check DCP tab for additional local council requirements

Understanding Heritage Requirements

  1. Check left panel for heritage status (item or conservation area)
  2. If Pattern Book shows heritage blocker, click "View Heritage Provisions"
  3. You'll navigate to DCP Provisions tab with heritage topic pre-filtered
  4. Review both "General" heritage provisions (apply to all heritage properties) and HCA-specific provisions (if in a Heritage Conservation Area)
  5. Click PDF page links to see exact wording and any diagrams/examples

Preparing for DA Lodgement

  1. Review all applicable provisions in DCP Provisions tab (filtered by your topic filters)
  2. Note DCP clause numbers and page references for your Statement of Environmental Effects (SEE)
  3. Check SEPP & LEP tab for state-level requirements (ADG, BASIX)
  4. Download or screenshot relevant provisions for your designer/architect
  5. Consult a qualified town planner to prepare your DA submission

Need Help?

Data Methodology: How PlotDetect extracts and maintains planning data

AI Disclaimer: How we use (and don't use) AI, and answers to common questions

Audit Trail: Query logging and data version history

Contact: info@plotdetect.com.au