Queensland Development Application Data
PlanEase tracks the public development application registers published by 20 Queensland councils, along with the Priority Development Area applications assessed by Economic Development Queensland (EDQ). This page shows how long approvals are taking and what kinds of applications are being lodged across Queensland, drawn directly from those public registers.
Approximate figures from PlanEase's analysis of public registers, data updated 16 August 2026, subject to revision. Not official statistics.
Decision time and application volume by council
Each council on one bar. Deep navy is the median decision time; a translucent lighter bar shows applications lodged. Fastest first. Hover either shade to lift that series across every council.
Brisbane is busiest at ~1,820 applications; Noosa is fastest at about 9 days; Toowoomba is slowest at about 42 days.
Application type mix
Most common application types across the tracked councils, by share of total volume.
About this data
This page reports development application activity captured from publicly available development application registers across 20 Queensland councils and Economic Development Queensland (EDQ). Figures cover decided applications and are refreshed periodically as new data is published; the “data as at” date below shows the current snapshot.
PlanEase also tracks EDQ's Priority Development Area register. In FY26, EDQ decided about 160 PDA applications, roughly 150 approvals, including subdivision approvals creating 3,300+ new lots. That is activity no council register carries, because EDQ replaces the council as assessment manager inside a Priority Development Area. EDQ does not publish decision durations, so it is tracked by volume only and is not ranked on decision time.
Data as at 23 August 2026 (covering 25 May 2026 to 22 August 2026). Source: PlanEase analysis of public Queensland council and Economic Development Queensland (PDA) development application registers.
Approximate figures from PlanEase's analysis of public registers, data updated 16 August 2026, subject to revision. Not official statistics.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a development application take in Queensland?
Decision times for a development application in Queensland vary by council and by application type, typically ranging from a few weeks for straightforward proposals to several months for complex or impact-assessable ones. The median days-to-decision figures on this page are calculated from each council's own public DA register, so they reflect what is actually happening rather than statutory targets.
Which councils decide DAs fastest?
The “median days to decision by council” chart above ranks tracked Queensland councils from fastest to slowest based on their published decisions. Faster turnaround often reflects a higher share of simpler, code-assessable applications, so the ranking is best read alongside each council's application type mix rather than in isolation. Economic Development Queensland (EDQ) is not ranked here, because its Priority Development Area register does not publish decision durations.
Where does this data come from?
This data is compiled from publicly available development application registers published by 20 Queensland councils and Economic Development Queensland (EDQ), the state authority that assesses development inside Priority Development Areas. PlanEase aggregates those registers and calculates decision times and application volumes; these are PlanEase's observations of public registers rather than official government statistics. The source and the “data as at” date are shown in the About this data section above for transparency.
How often is it updated?
The statistics are refreshed periodically as councils publish new entries to their development application registers. The “data as at” date reflects the most recent snapshot compiled for this page.
Turning DA data into faster projects
Knowing how long approvals take is only useful if you can act on it. The real delays in Queensland projects usually come after approval, when development approval conditions have to be satisfied before a plan can be sealed. Understanding both halves of the timeline (assessment time and post-approval condition management) is what keeps projects moving.
For more on the approval-to-registration process, see our guide to plan sealing in Queensland and how plan sealing software helps teams track DA conditions through to plan registration.
Learn more about PlanEase
Built for DA condition management and plan sealing across South East Queensland.
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