How long does Subsidence Advisory NSW say an approval takes?

What the regulator states

Subsidence Advisory NSW's development approval page says guideline-compliant applications are approved within 7 calendar days of receipt. It says merit-based determinations under section 22 of the Coal Mine Subsidence Compensation Act 2017 will be determined within 40 calendar days of receipt, unless it asks for additional information to progress the application, or unless the application is an integrated referral and other timeframes apply.

The page's own metadata dates it 29 January 2026, and we read it on 25 September 2026. A business-licence page on the federal ABLIS service words the second time differently, saying merit applications are usually determined within 40 calendar days, and prints no date, so we quote the regulator's page.

Which clock a property is on

The regulator says properties in a district are each assigned a specific guideline, and that its approval is required for applications on properties assigned Guidelines 1, 1A, 4, 5 or 7. Councils and accredited certifiers may approve applications that comply with five other guidelines without referring them to it. The property's guideline is found on the NSW Planning Portal, which is where the regulator tells applicants to search.

That is why the two figures are not a range. One is for an application that meets its guideline, the other for one that goes to merit assessment.

What the times do not say

Nothing on the pages we read says the 7 or the 40 calendar days apply to foundation repair, and the regulator's exempt development list, dated April 2023, names no underpinning, pier, stump or levelling work. Its Merit Assessment Policy says any erection or alteration of an improvement in a district needs its approval. Whether underpinning is such an alteration is not stated.

The council's development control plan words the order differently from the regulator: it asks for approval to be sought before a development application is lodged, with stamped plans submitted with it. So the regulator's clock may be one of two in a job, and this page cannot say how they add up.

Where this meets a quote

A provider pricing a job in a district should be able to say whether the work needs the regulator's approval, which route it would take and how long that route is stated to run. Those are ordinary questions, and a homeowner can put them before agreeing a price that includes approvals. This site cannot answer them, because it does none of the work.

What could change

The regulator's page carries a machine date of 29 January 2026 and could change at any time. Check its current page before you rely on either number.