Developer briefs

NSW council planning evidence

Ballina Shire Council DA tracker & development applications

2,895 development applications since 2019, proposing 1,680 new homes. A decision takes 101 days at the median.

2,895Applications
1,680Homes proposed
101 daysMedian decision time
$120kMedian cost of works
3.6%Refused, of 2,396 decided

Two registers, side by side

What is proposed here versus what is approved. These are separate government registers that nobody publishes together: the NSW Planning Portal records what people apply to build, the ABS records what is actually approved. Over the last 12 months the ABS recorded 222 dwellings approved in Ballina Shire Council worth $174M. The application pipeline is running at about 1.15× that rate.

Applications lodged by year

Applications lodged by year03186352021: applications 4222022: applications 6352023: applications 4152024: applications 3882025: applications 4372026: applications 240202120222023202420252026
applications · 2021 to 2026. Select a year to see the applications lodged in that period. Lodgements are applications, not approvals or completed homes. The most recent year may be incomplete; coverage follows this council’s NSW feed.
Applications lodged by year — underlying values
Period or categoryapplications
2021applications 422
2022applications 635
2023applications 415
2024applications 388
2025applications 437
2026applications 240 (partial period)

Source: NSW Planning Portal Online DA · Source snapshot: 2026-08-22.

Types of work proposed

Type of workApplications
Erection of a new structure617
Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure562
Dwelling house427
Pools / decks / fencing409
Dwelling312
Swimming pool277
Alterations and additions to residential development244
Earthworks / change in levels240

Heritage

96 heritage-listed items, 1 on the State Heritage Register — see them all. A listing restricts what can be altered or demolished.

Latest development applications

AddressWhatLodgedStatus
26 Salt Air Circuit Lennox Head 2478Signage; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Driveways and hard stand spaces; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support; Storage premises21 Aug 2026Under Assessment
15 Hamilton Street Ballina 2478Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Swimming pool21 Aug 2026Under Assessment
18 Bellevue Avenue East Ballina 2478Subdivision20 Aug 2026Determined
1 18 Dalmacia Drive Wollongbar 2477Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation20 Aug 2026Under Assessment
21 Habitat Way Lennox Head 2478Erection of a new structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support; Fences; Swimming pool19 Aug 2026Under Assessment
32 Fox Valley Way Lennox Head 2478Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached)18 Aug 2026Under Assessment
50 Quays Drive West Ballina 2478Erection of a new structure; Fences18 Aug 2026Under Assessment
7 Coral Street Alstonville 2477Subdivision17 Aug 2026Determined
6 Lindsay Avenue Cumbalum 2478Demolition; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Erection of a new structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support13 Aug 2026Under Assessment
1 Shoalhaven Street Alstonville 2477Erection of a new structure; Garage, carport or carparking space13 Aug 2026Additional Information Requested
21 Pacific Terrace East Ballina 2478Erection of a new structure; Garage, carport or carparking space12 Aug 2026Under Assessment
663 Fernleigh Road Fernleigh 2479Shed; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Erection of a new structure; Minor building alterations (internal); Minor building alterations (external); Swimming pool10 Aug 2026Under Assessment
14 Clare Street Alstonville 2477Secondary dwelling; Erection of a new structure; Non-standard Housing; Residential Accommodation10 Aug 2026Additional Information Requested
31 Amber Drive Lennox Head 2478Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure7 Aug 2026Under Assessment
136 Midgen Flat Road Newrybar 2479Demolition; Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Erection of a new structure; Driveways and hard stand spaces; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support; Rainwater tanks; Swimming pool6 Aug 2026Under Assessment
6 Surf Avenue Skennars Head 2478Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure6 Aug 2026Under Assessment
22 Bletchingly Street Wollongbar 2477Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure5 Aug 2026Under Assessment
Ballina Heights Drive Cumbalum 2478Erection of a new structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support; Supporting Development5 Aug 2026Under Assessment
40 Millbrook Terrace Wollongbar 2477Erection of a new structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support3 Aug 2026Additional Information Requested
2 Fagan Place Cumbalum 2478Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (detached); Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support3 Aug 2026Additional Information Requested

All 2,895 applications →

Follow this council

New applications as they are lodged, without visiting: RSS · JSON Feed. Both update when the nightly refresh runs.

What this council page tells you

Use the evidence in context. Applications show what has been proposed, not what has been approved or built. The figures above bring the NSW Planning Portal application feed together with the ABS approvals register and heritage data where a reliable council match exists.

Evidence boundary

Evidence found2,895 applications since 2019; 1,680 proposed homes; 222 dwellings approved in the current ABS comparison period.
Source coverageNSW Planning Portal Online DA, with ABS Building Approvals and NSW heritage registers where matched. Application data checked through 22 Aug 2026.
What this meansThis is the complete evidence currently loaded for this named council from the stated source universe.
What this does not meanZero or missing values do not prove no activity outside those sources. An application is not an approval or a completed project, and the NSW feed does not publish applicant, owner, architect or developer identity.

Applications: NSW Planning Portal Online DA API (CC-BY). Approvals: ABS Building Approvals by LGA (CC-BY 4.0). Decision time is measured from lodgement to determination on the 2,315 applications carrying both dates. Cost of works is the applicant's own estimate.