Development Assessment Panels (DAP)

What is DAP?

Development Assessment Panels (DAPs) are intended to enhance planning expertise in decision making by improving the balance between technical advice and local knowledge.

A DAP is an independent decision-making body comprised of technical experts and elected local government representatives.  Under the DAP regulations, each DAP will determine development applications that meet set type and value thresholds as if it were the responsible authority under the relevant planning instrument, such as the local planning scheme. The DAP regulations state that DAP applications cannot be determined by local government or the Western Australian Planning Commission (WAPC).

For more information on DAPs, please visit the WAPC- about DAPs site.

The Shire of Ashburton is a part of the Kimberley Pilbara Gascoyne (Northern) Joint Development Assessment Panel (JDAP).  For information on the JDAP, meetings and members, please click here Northern JDAP Information

Does my application need to be determined by a DAP?

For a development application within the Shire of Ashburton, your application is a DAP application if it falls into one of the following two categories:

Mandatory DAP applications

Where the value of the development is $10 million or more and not considered an ‘excluded development application’.

Opt-in DAP Applications

The applicant has chosen to have their application determined by a DAP. Opt-in DAP Applications are for those applications where the value is $2 million or more and less than $10 million and are not considered an ‘excluded development application’.

Excluded Development Applications

The following will not be determined by a DAP:

Construction of:

  • a single house and any associated carport, patio, outbuilding and incidental development;
  • less than 10 grouped dwellings and any associated carport, patio, outbuilding and 
  • incidental development;
  • less than 10 multiple dwellings and any associated carport, patio, outbuilding and incidental development

or

  • Development in an improvement scheme area; or
  • Development by a local government or the WAPC

or
Development in a district for which

  • a DAP is not established at the time the application is made; or
  • a DAP has been established for less than 60 days at the time the application is made

Please refer to the DAPs Regulations for further details.