Services / Planning permit
Council-ready SDA and BESS reports.
For developers, town planners and designers of townhouses, units and apartments: the SDA with the BESS report within 48 hours, or an SMP for larger sites.
Every report accepted to date
What the report looks like.
Why Beyond Green
Ready for council
Written to the council’s own policy or the NCC edition that applies, ready to lodge.
Within 48 hours
From a complete set of drawings.
A quick quote
From your plans, before any work starts.
One drawing set
Planning reports prepared together from the same plans, so you brief one consultant.
Memberships & accreditations
- Pending
“Made a noticeable difference on that project.”
“No packages, no run-around, just the reports the job actually needed.”
“We've used him on pretty much everything since.”
Before you send the drawings
What drawings do you need?
The drawings and the permit conditions.
Council requirements vary between municipalities, so the conditions are what make a quote accurate rather than approximate.
Is it written to my council’s requirements?
Yes.
Each report follows the council’s own policy, planning scheme clauses and template where it has one.
What if council asks for further information?
Send the request to us.
Questions about our report are answered from the same drawing set.
What is an SDA report?
A Sustainable Design Assessment: the sustainability document councils ask for with a planning application for a medium development.
It is the BESS report plus plans annotated with every commitment, reporting the project against the categories the council scores, including energy, water and indoor environment quality.
Is an SDA the same as a Section J report?
No.
An SDA is a planning-stage document requested by the council.
A Section J report is a building-permit document reviewed by the building surveyor.
Many projects need both, at different points in the process.
What is the difference between an SDA and an ESD report?
'ESD report' is the loose name.
The council's policy asks for either a Sustainable Design Assessment (medium developments) or a Sustainability Management Plan (larger ones).
Send the permit condition and the scope is confirmed before quoting.
How it runs
- 01
Send the plans
Upload the drawing set or email it. Name, email and report type; the rest is optional.
- 02
Scope confirmed
What the job needs, checked against your drawings.
- 03
Quote with it
You see the requirements and the fee before you go ahead.
- 04
Final report
Ready for the surveyor or council.
Who it’s for
- Developers of dual occupancies, townhouses and apartments
- Town planners lodging a planning application
- Designers answering a council request for further information
Tell us about the project.
- What will it cost?
- A quick quote from your plans, before any work starts.
- Will council accept it?
- Every report is written to the council’s own policy or the NCC edition that applies.
Beyond Green Energy Assessments
Sustainable Design Assessments: the details
What it covers
- The BESS assessment: energy, water, stormwater, indoor environment quality, urban ecology and transport
- Plans annotated with every commitment
- A Sustainability Management Plan with an implementation schedule for larger developments
When council asks for it
Councils ask for an SDA with a planning application for a medium development, and an SMP for larger ones, generally 10 or more dwellings or over 1,000 m2 of non-residential floor area.
Councils look for a BESS score of 50% overall, with minimum scores in energy, water, stormwater and indoor environment quality.
Official references: BESS, Planning Victoria. .