What the certificate is, in brief
Section 10.7 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 lets anyone apply to a council for a certificate about a parcel of land. A 10.7(2) certificate answers a fixed list of questions prescribed by Schedule 2 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulation 2021: which planning instruments apply, the zone and what is permitted or prohibited, whether the land is a heritage item or in a conservation area, whether it is bush fire prone, whether flood related development controls apply, and a run of other notations such as road widening, contaminated land notices and loose-fill asbestos. A 10.7(5) certificate adds the council's own advice on other matters it is aware of; it is discretionary and its content varies by council.
What no 10.7 certificate contains: development applications on neighbouring lots, easements (those are on title), distances to the station or shops, school catchments, or any check of the listing's claims. The certificate describes one parcel's rules on its issue date and nothing beyond the boundary.
Fees, timing and how to apply, compared
Every figure below was read from the council's own page or 2026-27 fee schedule on 10 September 2026. The maximum a council may charge is set by the Regulation: 0.62 fee units, $74.00, for a 10.7(2) certificate and a further 0.94 fee units, $111.00, for 10.7(5) advice. Councils may charge less, and one of these three does.
| Council | 10.7(2) fee | 10.7(2) and (5) fee | Published turnaround | Urgent option | How to apply |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Parramatta2026-27 Fees & Charges, item 6.19 | $73.500.62 fee units at a $118.55 fee unit | $184.941.56 fee units | Not published | $132.30Within 24 hours, Monday to Friday | Council's own ePathway portal, or post to PO Box 32 Parramatta NSW 2124 |
| Hornsby Shire Council2026-27 Fees and Charges, p.48 | $74.00Statutory maximum, no GST | $185.00$111.00 add-on, statutory maximum | Not published | None listedNo urgent fee for planning certificates in the 2026-27 schedule | Council's own Infor ePathway certificate portal |
| Inner West CouncilPlanning certificates page | $62.00$12.00 below the maximum | $156.00Implied $94.00 add-on | 5 business days | $260.20 extraWithin 24 hours; lodge by 3:30pm | Council's TechnologyOne self-service portal; registration verified in up to 2 business days |
Statutory maximums from the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure schedule of planning and development fees and charges for 2026/27. The fee unit is indexed each 1 July, so these figures hold until 30 June 2027 and are reviewed then. None of the three councils takes planning certificate applications through the NSW Planning Portal's optional online service; each runs its own portal.
Council pages
Each page carries the council's figures with sources, the actual application route, and what the certificate leaves out for that council area in particular.
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City of Parramatta
$73.50, no published turnaround, 24-hour option for $132.30. The 2024 Parramatta River Flood Study covers about 60 per cent of the council area, and the certificate's flood line does not tell you what it found.
Parramatta River and overland flooding -
Hornsby Shire Council
$74.00, the statutory maximum, no published turnaround and no urgent option. About 40 per cent of properties are bush fire prone land, and the certificate says yes or no, not what it costs.
Bushfire prone land -
Inner West Council
$62.00, five business days, 24-hour option for $260.20 extra. More than 107 heritage conservation areas, and a $436.10 Flood Certificate for the flood detail the planning certificate does not hold.
Heritage conservation areas
Who orders it, and when
In NSW the vendor's conveyancer orders the 10.7(2) certificate and attaches it to the contract for sale, so as a buyer you usually read one before you would ever need to order one. You order your own when the contract's certificate is old, when you want the 10.7(5) advice the vendor did not buy, or when you are checking a property before a contract exists. In each case the council above is the only issuer; there is no faster or cheaper source than the council itself, and the urgent fees in the table are the only way to shorten the wait.
Questions about section 10.7 certificates
What is a section 10.7 planning certificate?
A certificate issued by the local council under section 10.7 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (NSW) that states the planning rules applying to a parcel of land: zoning and permitted uses, the planning instruments that apply, and hazard notations such as bush fire prone land and flood related development controls. In NSW a 10.7(2) certificate must be attached to the contract for sale of land.
What is the difference between a 10.7(2) and a 10.7(5) certificate?
The 10.7(2) content is prescribed by Schedule 2 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulation 2021 and is the same list for every council. A 10.7(5) certificate adds the council's discretionary advice on other matters affecting the land that it is aware of; each council decides what it includes. City of Parramatta describes it as advice on other relevant matters affecting the land, and Inner West Council as including advice from other authorities and certain information council holds on a property.
How much does a section 10.7 certificate cost in NSW?
The maximum fees are set by the Regulation in fee units: 0.62 fee units ($74.00) for a 10.7(2) certificate and a further 0.94 fee units ($111.00) for 10.7(5) advice in 2026-27. Councils can charge less. Inner West Council charges $62.00 and $156.00, City of Parramatta $73.50 and $184.94, and Hornsby Shire Council $74.00 and $185.00. The fee unit is indexed each 1 July.
How long does a 10.7 certificate take?
It depends on the council, and most do not say. Of the three compared here, only Inner West Council publishes a standard turnaround, five business days, with a 24-hour option for an additional $260.20. City of Parramatta publishes no standard turnaround but offers processing within 24 hours (Monday to Friday) for a separate $132.30 fee. Hornsby Shire Council publishes neither a turnaround nor an urgent option for planning certificates.
Can I apply for a 10.7 certificate through the NSW Planning Portal?
Not at these three councils. City of Parramatta and Hornsby Shire Council issue certificates through their own ePathway portals, and Inner West Council through its TechnologyOne self-service portal. None of the three route planning certificate applications through the NSW Planning Portal's optional online service.
Does a Prova report replace the section 10.7 certificate?
No. The 10.7 certificate is a statutory document issued by the council and required for conveyancing; nothing else stands in for it. Prova reads public datasets the certificate does not cover, such as applications on neighbouring lots, distances and school catchments, and checks the listing's claims against the record. It is read alongside the certificate, not instead of it.