Gold Coast · South East Queensland · Council DA statistics
Development applications in Gold Coast: approval rates and timelines
Real outcomes from 34,813 decided development applications recorded against Gold Coast council. Data current as of 2 July 2026.
According to Casa Intelligence analysis of 34,813 decided development applications in Gold Coast, 99% were approved, with a median decision time of 42 days.
99%
Approval rate
34,401 of 34,813 decided applications
42 days
Median decision time
Lodgement to decision (n=14,946)
34,813
Decided applications
Every decided DA we hold for this council
5
Development types
Residential cohorts broken down below
What the numbers say about Gold Coast
Based on 34,813 decided development applications recorded against Gold Coast council, 34,401 were approved — an approval rate of 99%. That reflects councils in this region decide the overwhelming majority of applications in favour of the applicant — most refused proposals are withdrawn or reworked before a formal refusal. These are real, decided applications assessed by the council, not estimates or modelling.
The median time from lodgement to decision was 42 days, measured across the 14,946 applications with both dates recorded. That is a comparatively fast assessment turnaround by South East Queensland standards. Individual applications vary widely with information requests, referrals and the assessment pathway that applies to the specific site.
The breakdown below shows how the main residential development types have fared in Gold Coast. Past decisions describe how comparable proposals have actually gone — but every site is different, and zoning, overlays, lot dimensions and the assessment pathway for your specific parcel decide what is realistic for your project.
Approval rates by development type in Gold Coast
Each row summarises the decided applications matching that development-type cohort — the same cohorts our suburb statistics pages use.
| Development type | Decided | Approval rate | Median days | Median infra. charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subdivision | 1,211 | 97% | 112 days | — |
| Duplex | 1,112 | 99% | — | — |
| Townhouses | 1,128 | 99% | — | — |
| Units | 1,128 | 99% | — | — |
| New house | 4,858 | 100% | — | — |
Median infrastructure charges are published only where we hold at least 5 charged decision notices and the median falls in a plausible band; cohorts overlap where an application matches more than one development type.
Busiest suburbs for development in Gold Coast
Ranked by decided development applications. Suburbs with published statistics pages link through to their approval rates and timelines.
About this data
These statistics summarise decided development applications recorded against Gold Coast council, current as of 2 July 2026. Council-wide figures span every application type we hold for the council, so they mix simple approvals with complex impact-assessable projects. Past decisions describe how comparable proposals have fared — they do not guarantee, and cannot predict, the outcome of any future application. Council assesses every application on its merits against the planning scheme that applies at the time. This page is general information, not planning or legal advice: what is achievable on a specific site depends on its zoning, overlays, lot dimensions and assessment pathway.
Find out what these numbers mean for your site
Council statistics tell you the odds. A Preliminary Planning Report tells you where your address stands: approval likelihood, code vs impact pathway, constraints, costs and comparable approved DAs — prepared by a qualified development professional (Master of Architecture) and delivered in minutes.