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ARTICLE · 06 APRIL 2020

Making time: extending development approvals in light of COVID-19

Corrs Chambers Westgarth
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Extending development approvals can be quite complex for national developers, when the regime differs in each State.

AustraliaReal Estate and Construction
Marisa Taliangis
Marisa Taliangis
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There is much uncertainty surrounding the impacts of COVID-19. What is possible one morning may be impossible, if not outlawed, the next. Amongst these changes, developers are having to make decisions regarding projects while also holding a crystal ball to the future. 

These decisions involve considerations as to contractual commitments, commercial necessity and the extent to which approvals have already been obtained.

However, where there is a time limit on an existing subdivision or development approval, the question becomes whether this can be extended to allow for a project to be carried out in the future. Making this issue even more complex for national developers is that the regime for extending planning approvals differs in each State.

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