The four triggers
Going from retail to café, office to clinic — the classification changes, so the requirements change.
Removing a wall, cutting a slab, new mezzanine, new openings in a load-bearing element.
Moving sprinklers, adding detection, changing hydrants or exit signage.
Anything that affects how people get out — door widths, travel distances, exit paths.
Pick the lightest one that legally applies
Exempt development
No approval needed at all. Cosmetic work, painting, floor coverings, freestanding joinery, signage within the exemption limits.
Complying development / CDC
Assessed by a private certifier against a published standard. No council DA, no public notification.
Development application
Council-assessed. Required for a change of use in most zones, and for anything outside the complying standard.
Work type → approval needed
| Work | Approval | Certifier | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paint, floor coverings, loose fixtures | Exempt | — | Landlord consent only |
| Joinery, counters, shelving | Usually exempt | Sometimes | Check egress and fire integrity |
| New partitions (non-structural) | CDC in most states | Yes | Watch egress paths and travel distance |
| New shopfront / awning | DA or separate approval | Yes | Heritage and signage rules often apply |
| Commercial kitchen + exhaust | CDC + food business registration | Yes + council | Grease trap, make-up air, fire suppression |
| Change of use (retail → café) | DA in most cases | Yes | Triggers parking, noise, waste conditions |
| Sprinkler / detection changes | Fire safety approval | Fire contractor + certifier | Never skip — insurance and occupancy depend on it |
The order things happen in
Check the use and the lease
Confirm the permitted use of the tenancy, the make-good clause, the landlord's fit-out guide and whether the centre has a design panel.
Concept and pathway decision
Decide exempt / CDC / DA with your certifier before design is locked. This one conversation sets the whole timeline.
Documentation and lodgement
Architectural, fire engineering, hydraulic and mechanical drawings as required. Lodged with certifier or council.
Approval issued
CDC or DA consent issued with conditions. Read the conditions — they become inspection checkpoints.
Construction with inspections
Critical-stage inspections during the build. Fire services certified by the licensed contractor separately.
Final certificate + occupancy
Occupation certificate, food registration, liquor licence, signage permit. No certificate, no trade.
Private certifier — issues CDC and construction certificates.
Council — assesses DAs, food registration, signage.
Fire contractor — designs and certifies fire service alterations.
Landlord / centre management — design panel, works hours, nominated trades.
Starting design before confirming the pathway · assuming "like for like" when the use changed · forgetting the fire services scope in the quote · booking trades before the certifier · signing a lease with a full make-good clause.