Submissions and petitions

Step 1.Check when the submission is due

Council must invite the community to provide formal input on certain plans and proposals.

This page explains how you can share your ideas, feedback or concerns about items on public exhibition so they can be considered as part of Council’s decision-making process.

You can do this by making a submission or petition. 

Petitions are usually signed by multiple people and can be used to raise issues that are not on public exhibition. Click the 'Petition' tab below for more information.

You can also provide feedback on matters not publicly exhibited by: Make a submission on a development applications (DAs) through the online form Submission on a Development Application Form

Check the closing date

You must lodge submission before the end of the exhibition period listed in the notice.

Exhibition periods are usually 28 days, but may be 14 days or 42 days, depending on legislative requirements. These timeframes are outlined in Community Engagement Strategy. 

Council may extend a submission period where appropriate. 

Late submissions

In some cases, the City, as the consent authority for a development application may consider late submissions. However, you may lose the right to start an objector appeal for certain types of development. For more information see the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979.

Step 2.Prepare your submission

You submission must include:

• your name and contact details e.g. name, email, phone number or address
• the name of any person or group you represent
• a signature from each person making the submission
• a clear reference to the proposal (for example application number)
• your concerns, comments or support

You should:

• make recommendations and clear statements
• provide evidence where possible
• use clear, concise and respectful language
• include practical recommendations
• not include offensive or defamatory comments
• not include personal or health information about another person without their consent.

By making a submission, you acknowledge:

• it will be published in full on the City’s website
• you are responsible for the content of your submission including statements and opinions expressed
• by including personal or health information within your submission, you do so voluntarily and at your own risk
• you give City a royalty-free licence to use, reproduce, publish, and convert your submission into other formats for inclusion on the City’s website, in Council reports, and for disclosure under the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009.

Political donations or gifts

If you make a submission on a planning application, you must comply with the disclosure requirements the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 and the Electoral Funding Act 2018.

If you or an associate has made a reportable political donation or provided a gift to a Councillor or employee of the City within the past two years, you must complete a disclosure form See: Political Donations and Gifts Disclosure Statement | City of Coffs Harbour.

These disclosures will to published on the City’s website in accordance with the Privacy Notice.

Step 3.Lodge your submission

Lodge your submission via:

• Email: coffs.council@chcc.nsw.gov.au
• Via the DA submission page 
• In writing, in person at the City’s Customer Service Centre
• Mail to Locked Bag 155, Coffs Harbour, NSW 2450

Step 4.Availability of submissions

Submissions will be made publicly available under the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009. 

Most submissions will be published on the City's website, including the name and suburb of the person making the submission.

The City will not publish your signature, or contact details such as your address, email or phone number), unless you voluntarily choose to include them in the body of your submission. 

If you include personal or health information about another person you must have their consent.

The City requires your name and contact details so we keep you informed about the outcome. 

Confidential submissions

Requests for confidentiality will only be accepted in exceptional circumstances, where there is an overriding public interest consideration against the disclosure of your submission.

To request confidentiality, email your submission and explain your reasons to coffs.council@chcc.nsw.gov.au.

Disclaimer

The City does not endorse or adopt the content of any submission.

The views expressed in a submission are those of the author and do not reflect the views of the City, its Councillors or staff.

What happens next

A staff member will review your submission and include it in the decision-making process.

Council considers all the submissions before making a decision. 

Step 5.Council considers your submission

A staff member reviews your submission and reports it to Council, or other relevant authorities.

Council only makes their decision after they have considered all the submissions.

How does a submission contribute to decision making?

Community feedback is important, but Council must also consider economic, environmental and technical impacts.

The number of submissions for or against a proposal does not determine the outcome.

All submissions are given equal consideration. 

Step 1.Prepare your petition

The person who submits a petition is the ‘primary petitioner’. If the petition does not identify a primary person, we will assume the first signatory is the primary petitioner.

The primary petitioner needs to ensure the petition meets the requirements below.

A petition to Council must be about:

• an issue that Council is responsible for, as defined by the Local Government Act 1993, or
• an issue that affects the Coffs Harbour local government area that Council can influence.

A petition must:

• include the primary petitioner’s name, address and contact details
• be an original document
• include the name, address, date and original signatures (or email addresses in the case of an electronic petition) of the people supporting the petition
• show the date when the letter was signed
• propose actions that are lawful

A petition should:

• be addressed to the General Manager
• describe what the petition is about
• explain what action the petitioners would like Council to take
• use respectful and clear language, and accurate information

Step 2.Council receives your petition

We will get back to the primary petitioner within 7 working days.

We will let them know if:

• Council  has addressed a similar petition or issue in the past 24 months and what the result was
• State legislation affects Council’s ability to respond to the petition
• Council has no direct control but will make representations on behalf of the community to the relevant body. If unable to do this, we will let the primary petitioner know why.
• Council has no responsibility or influence. If there is a more suitable body the petitioners could send it to instead, we will let the primary petitioner know.

If the petition meets requirements

We will let the primary petitioner know who their City of Coffs Harbour contact is.

In most instances we will communicate only with the primary petitioner. The primary petitioner needs to communicate information to other signatories to the petition.

If a primary petitioner has presented incorrect information when collecting signatures, we may contact the signatories using the contact details they provided.

Step 3.Council's response

When we receive a petition, Council’s response will depend on what the petition asks for and may include one or more of the following:

• do what was requested in the petition
• consider the petition at a meeting of Council
• do research or consultation with the community
• provide a written response to the primary petitioner outlining Council’s views about the request