Development applications in The Hills Shire Council
We have no rezoning amendments on record for this council yet, but we track its development applications. The figures below are counted directly from the development application register over the last 12 months.
Development applications · last 12 months
Applications lodged in this council in the trailing 12 months, by current status. Counted directly from the development application register.
- Total lodged
- 1473
- last 12 months
- Lodged
- 0
- Under assessment
- 302
- Determined
- 1046
- Withdrawn
- 125
Decision speed
How quickly this council determines a development application, measured from lodgement to determination across every decided application that carries both dates.
- Median time to decision
- 64 days
- half are decided faster than this
- Average
- 91 days
- a few slow cases pull this up
- Based on
- 3,219
- determined applications
Planning disputes
20 on recordPlanning and environment court and tribunal matters naming The Hills Shire Council, newest first. Each links to the full public judgment.
| Matter | Court | Decided |
|---|---|---|
| Fred Caterson Champions Inc. v The Hills Shire Council (No 4) [2026] NSWLEC 55 COSTS – whether costs thrown away should be ordered payable after decision to allow vacation of hearing dates has been determined – each party to pay own costs | NSWLEC | 12 May 2026 |
| Fred Caterson Champions Inc trading as Fred Caterson Champions v The Hills Shire Council trading as The Hills Shire Council [2026] NSWCA 24 APPEALS – leave to appeal – where application for leave to rely on expert report refused in the Land and Environment Court – whether leave to appeal should be granted to reconsider that decision | NSWCA | 10 Mar 2026 |
| Fred Caterson Champions Inc v The Hills Shire Council (No 3) [2026] NSWLEC 16 INTERLOCUTORY INJUNCTION – application for interlocutory order restraining work by local council of development of playing fields – whether serious question to be tried – whether irreparable harm caused if no order made – claim of acting in public interest – balance of convenience – delay in making application – application dismissed | NSWLEC | 19 Feb 2026 |
| Fred Caterson Champions Inc. v The Hills Shire Council (No 2) [2026] NSWLEC 11 PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE – stay of proceedings ordered to enable appeal of interlocutory | NSWLEC | 10 Feb 2026 |
| Fred Caterson Champions Inc. trading as Fred Caterson Champions v The Hills Shire Council trading as The Hills Shire Council [2025] NSWLEC 139 NOTICE OF MOTION – application for extension of time for commencing proceedings – r 59.10(2) of the Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 – application for expert evidence in Class 4 judicial review proceedings – r 31.19 of the Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 | NSWLEC | 4 Dec 2025 |
| The Hills Shire Council v Needham [2020] NSWLEC 107 PROCEDURE – application to vacate hearing dates – application granted – applicant to pay costs of vacation | NSWLEC | 5 Aug 2020 |
| Mulpha Norwest Pty Ltd v The Hills Shire Council (No 2) [2020] NSWLEC 74 APPEAL – separate question of law – statutory construction of floor space ratio in environmental planning instrument | NSWLEC | 22 June 2020 |
| Mulpha Norwest Pty Ltd v The Hills Shire Council [2020] NSWLEC 7 SEPARATE QUESTION: whether a separate question ought to be ordered – applicable legal principles – question if answered in favour of the council dispositive of appeal – facts necessary to determine question agreed – no expert evidence required to determine question – question has potential precedential value – separate question ordered. | NSWLEC | 10 Feb 2020 |
| Wirrabara Village Pty Limited v The Hills Shire Council [2018] NSWLEC 6 PROCEDURE – application for expedition – deemed refusal – imminent expiry of site compatibility certificate - expedition granted | NSWLEC | 27 Feb 2018 |
| The Hills Shire Council v Needham [2018] NSWLEC 1 PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE – vacation of hearing dates at commencement of hearing to enable legal representation to be obtained conditioned on interlocutory order remaining in place and payment of applicant’s costs thrown away | NSWLEC | 7 Feb 2018 |
| The Hills Shire Council v Needham [2017] NSWLEC 180 INTERLOCUTORY INJUNCTION – Council makes application seeking permanent orders preventing Respondent from using premises for a prohibited purpose – Respondent uses premises for the prohibited purpose after application made to the Court but prior to final hearing – Council makes application seeking interim injunction preventing Respondent from using premises for the prohibited purpose – adequate evidence from Council to establish use for a prohibited purpose – no “usual undertaking” given by Counc | NSWLEC | 15 Dec 2017 |
| Stankovic v The Hills Shire Council [2015] NSWCA 279 PRACTICE and PROCEDURE – application for leave to appeal – extension of time – application 10 years out of time – challenge to costs order – proceedings earlier dismissed but reinstated – ground of proposed appeal unarguable – absence of justification for delay | NSWCA | 9 Sept 2015 |
| The Hills Shire Council v Mouawad [2014] NSWLEC 59 BIAS: application for judge to disqualify herself on the grounds of apprehended bias - prior adverse credit finding made against defendant in unrelated proceedings - meaning of "implausible" - applicable legal principles - application upheld. | NSWLEC | 14 May 2014 |
| The Hills Shire Council v Sales Search Pty Ltd [2013] NSWLEC 103 DEVELOPMENT CONSENT - appeal from determination of Commissioner that proposed development is a boarding house, which is permitted in the applicable zone under Baulkham Hills Local Environmental Plan 2005 and whether Commissioner should have determined that proposed development was an apartment building or commercial premises, both of which are prohibited in that zone. | NSWLEC | 12 July 2013 |
| Mulpha FKP Pty Ltd v The Hills Shire Council [2012] NSWLEC 101 JUDICIAL REVIEW:- surrender of development consent - more than 8 months after notice of voluntary surrender of development consent, council had not decided whether to issue statutory notification required to give it effect - whether council under a duty to exercise statutory notification function - if so, whether reasonable time for exercising function had expired - appropriate relief. | NSWLEC | 9 May 2012 |
| Cachia v The Hills Shire Council [2010] NSWLEC 136 COSTS :- order issued by Council outside power - successful applicant seeks order for costs and compensation - applicant a litigant in person - whether fair and reasonable to award costs to reimburse applicant's out of pocket expenses - whether applicant should be compensated for expenses incurred as a consequence of the order - costs awarded to applicant | NSWLEC | 6 July 2010 |
| The Hills Shire Council v Suciu (No 3) [2009] NSWLEC 192 ENVIRONMENTAL OFFENCES :- sentence – breach of s 143 of the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 – dumping of unclean waste on private property without consent – ex parte hearing – harm to the environment – objective and subjective sentencing considerations – aggravating factors – appropriate penalty – costs | NSWLEC | 30 Oct 2009 |
| Edwards v The Hills Shire Council [2009] NSWLEC 187 PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE :- Motion to dismiss as an abuse of process a class 1 appeal against development refusal - costs. | NSWLEC | 19 Oct 2009 |
| The Hills Shire Council v Suciu (No 2) [2009] NSWLEC 168 PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE :- application for adjournment of delivery of sentencing | NSWLEC | 22 Sept 2009 |
| The Hills Shire Council v Suciu [2009] NSWLEC 145 ENVIRONMENTAL OFFENCES :- prosecution - ex parte proceedings - plea of not guilty - unlawful waste disposal - waste transportation and disposal in a place other than lawful waste facility - "waste" - unclean fill - finding of guilt | NSWLEC | 31 Aug 2009 |
Discovery signals matched on council name. We link to the public judgment; we do not reproduce its text.
How these numbers are computed
- Development applications are counted directly from the development application register over the trailing 12 months, grouped by their current canonical status. The full list is on the applications page.