A residential property development can be undertaken by a single licensee or by several people who each hold a licence at various stages of the development. For example, the landowner may apply for development approval for a residential project, which requires a licence under section 162A of the Planning Act 2023. That owner could then sell the land, complete with an approved Development Application (DA), to another person. That person could then engage in off-the-plan sales, apply for building approval, complete the project, and be issued with a Certificate of Occupancy.
For some steps, like submitting a DA, a licence can be held at the time that step is being done at a point in time. However, once building approval is given, a licence must be “attached” to a project up until a certificate of occupancy has been issued. This means an appropriately licensed person must be responsible for the project during the entire construction phase.
