Quick answer: There is no national answer, and anyone giving you one is guessing. Subdivision is governed state by state — different authorities, different fee bases, different contributions. Statutory fees are only one part of the total. Surveying, planning, civil works and service connections are separately quoted and can materially change the final project cost. What you can do is build the cost stack properly. This guide sets out the categories that apply everywhere, then the official fee schedules we were able to verify for five jurisdictions.
How to read this guide
Everything below is either a cost category, which is durable, or a verified official fee, which carries the authority that published it and the date it took effect. We have not published a national average, a per-lot average or a dollar-per-square-metre figure, because the five fee regimes use structurally incompatible bases — fee units, per-lot flats, percentages of construction cost, per-100-lots, per-hectare — and averaging them would produce an artefact, not a fact.
The eleven cost categories
1. Land surveying. Usually three separate engagements, often months or years apart: the feature and contour survey that maps existing levels, structures and services; the plan of subdivision lodged with your application; and the final survey and registrable plan after works are done. In NSW that final plan is the Deposited Plan, in Victoria the certified plan of subdivision, in Queensland the plan of survey. Where original survey marks are lost or the title is old-system, boundary re-establishment is a further and separate job.
2. Town planner or planning consultant. Preparing the application and planning report, responding to requests for further information, and representation at a panel or tribunal. A professional fee — no jurisdiction publishes a schedule for it.
3. Council or authority application fee. The statutory fee, and where jurisdictions diverge most. In NSW, Victoria and South Australia the formula is set by state regulation and applied by councils; in Queensland each council sets its own fee for reconfiguring a lot; in Western Australia subdivision approval is a state decision by the Western Australian Planning Commission, not a council decision at all.
4. Referral and concurrence fees. Payable where your application must go to a separate body — roads, environment, heritage, water, fire, native vegetation.
5. Infrastructure and developer contributions. Jurisdiction- and council-dependent. There can be up to three layers: a state or regional contribution, a local council contribution, and an open space contribution.
6. Service connections and headworks — water, sewer, electricity, telecommunications, stormwater. Keep two things separate here: the application and assessment fees, which are published and regulated, and the works themselves plus any headworks contributions, which are quoted per site.
7. Civil works — driveways and crossovers, earthworks, cut and fill, retaining, demolition, internal roads and drainage.
8. Titling, plan registration and land registry lodgement. Usually charged per plan plus per lot, so it scales with how many lots you create, and always separate from the planning application fee.
9. Legal and conveyancing — easements and restrictions, mortgagee consent and partial discharges, contracts for the new lots.
10. Holding and finance costs — interest, rates, land tax, insurance and site security across approval, construction and titling.
11. Tax. GST (including whether the margin scheme is available), and whether your profit is on capital or revenue account. We have not researched this and give no tax guidance. Talk to a registered tax agent before you start, not after.
Verified official fees, by jurisdiction
We verified official fee material for five jurisdictions: NSW, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia. Every figure carries its effective date. Most reset on 1 July each year — check the current schedule before you budget.
New South Wales
NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure. Fees sit in Schedule 4 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulation 2021 and are expressed in fee units.
| Matter | Statutory maximum |
|---|---|
| DA for subdivision involving the opening of a public road | 7.77 fee units + $65 per additional lot |
| DA for subdivision not involving a public road | 3.86 fee units + $53 per additional lot |
| DA for strata subdivision | 3.86 fee units + $65 per additional lot |
| Additional fee, integrated development | 1.64 fee units + 3.74 fee units (approval body) |
The fee unit rose from $111.32 to $113.90 on 1 July 2025 (NSW Planning Portal, 7 May 2025). We could not verify a published 2026/27 fee unit, so we are not converting these to current dollars — use the fee-unit formula and the fixed per-lot amounts, and check the current DPHI schedule for the multiplier.
Note the jump between the first two rows: creating a public road roughly doubles the base and lifts the per-lot rate.
Plan registration — NSW Land Registry Services, fees from 1 July 2026:
| Service | Incl GST |
|---|---|
| Deposited plan lodgment for examination — and again for each lot after the first | $384.78 (+$384.78 per additional lot) |
| Pre-examination of a deposited plan — and for each lot after the first | $423.28 (+$423.28 per lot) |
| Section 88B instrument — per affecting interest (each easement or covenant created or released) | $182.71 |
| Community land plan lodgment — and for each lot after the first | $824.56 (+$824.56 per lot) |
| Plan requisition | $133.98 |
Sydney Water Section 73 Compliance Certificate (Greater Sydney), 2026–27: development requirements application $723.81 (complying development $273.70); water and sewer extension application $723.81; asset adjustment application $373.16; statement of available pressure and flow $189.72; supply system diagram $203.46; hourly rate $226.83 incl GST. These are application fees only — Sydney Water states construction costs are at market rate and infrastructure contributions are additional. A Torrens subdivision of five lots or more is given as an indicator that major works may be required. A Notice of Requirements is valid 12 months.
NSW Housing and Productivity Contribution — designated high-growth areas only, indexed quarterly. Base component rates as at 1 July 2026: Greater Sydney $13,000.73 per new dwelling lot; Central Coast, Illawarra-Shoalhaven and Lower Hunter $8,667.15 per new dwelling lot.
Additional components (transport and strategic biodiversity) apply in specific designated areas. We have not published their current rates here — they re-index quarterly and we could not verify them at the 1 July 2026 reset, so check the current schedule rather than relying on a figure from us.
The HPC applies only in the areas named in the Ministerial planning order, and council contributions under EP&A Act s7.11/s7.12 are separate and additional. We did not check any council’s contributions plan.
Victoria
Planning Victoria. Two separate fee regulations apply — keep them apart.
Planning permit fee (Planning and Environment (Fees) Regulations 2016). Fee unit: 2025-26 $16.81; 2026-27 $17.27. GST does not apply.
| Permit | 2026-27 |
|---|---|
| VicSmart application to subdivide or consolidate | $233.10 |
| Subdivide land into 2 lots | $1,537.00 |
| Subdivide an existing building | $1,537.00 |
| Realign a common boundary or consolidate lots | $1,537.00 |
| Subdivide land (general) | $1,537.00 per 100 lots created |
| Create, vary or remove a restriction, right of way or easement | $1,537.00 |
That “per 100 lots created” basis is distinctively Victorian — a two-lot and a ninety-lot subdivision attract the same permit fee.
Certification and works fees (Subdivision (Fees) Regulations 2016), payable to council, 2026-27: certification of a plan of subdivision and issue of a statement of compliance $203.80; alteration of plan $129.50; amendment of certified plan $164.10. Then three percentage-based fees: checking of engineering plans 0.75% of estimated construction cost; engineering plan prepared by council 3.5%; supervision of works 2.5%.
That percentage basis matters: in Victoria, a harder site raises your statutory fees as well as your build cost.
Further fees are payable to the Registrar of Titles under the Subdivision (Registrar’s Fees) Regulations 2016, based on the number of parcels created. We could not extract those dollar amounts. Land Use Victoria indicates new fee levels commenced 1 July 2026.
GAIC (growth areas infrastructure contribution) applies in the growth areas of Cardinia, Casey, Hume, Melton, Mitchell, Whittlesea and Wyndham, under Part 9B of the Planning and Environment Act 1987. We could not verify a current rate and are not quoting one — check the State Revenue Office.
Queensland
Subdivision is “reconfiguring a lot” under the Planning Act 2016, assessed by the local government. Queensland does not set a uniform statewide council application fee — each council sets its own, and we did not check any individual council.
Titles registry (Queensland Titles Registry Pty Ltd t/a Titles Queensland), FY2026/27:
| Matter | Fee |
|---|---|
| Lodging a plan of survey — for the plan | $496.12 |
| — for each lot or interest surveyed or defined | $36.49 |
| Creation of a separate indefeasible title, per title created | $94.42 |
| Lodging any other instrument | $248.04 |
| Requisition of a lodged instrument | $46.56 |
Infrastructure charges (Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning, last updated 6 June 2025): a council can levy them only where it has a local government infrastructure plan and the development adds demand on trunk infrastructure. Charges are levied by infrastructure charges notice under a charges resolution, capped at the maximum adopted charge, and indexed to the ABS road and bridge construction PPI for Queensland. In South East Queensland, water and wastewater charges are set independently by the distributor-retailers — Queensland Urban Utilities, Unitywater, City of Gold Coast, Logan City Council and Redland City Council — in a water netserv plan, not by the council. Extra payment conditions can apply where development is out of sequence with the infrastructure plan.
South Australia
Minister for Planning / PlanSA, under the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016. Fees from the PDI (Fees) Notice 2026, SA Government Gazette No. 33, 12 June 2026, effective 1 July 2026.
| Circumstance | Fee |
|---|---|
| Resulting allotments no more than existing, or no more than 4 additional allotments and no public road | $210.00 |
| Creates more than 4 additional allotments | $210.00 + $19.10 per additional allotment |
| Involves creation of a public road (any number of allotments) | $210.00 + $19.10 per additional allotment |
The Notice specifies that “allotment” excludes an allotment for road or open space requirements.
Other verified items: lodgement fee scales with total development cost from $98.50 (up to $10,000) to $6,308 (over $10m); planning consent, restricted development — division of land $586.00; Certificate of Approval (land division certificate) $1,229.00; water and sewerage assessment under Reg 79 $480.00 (update $138.00); Commission advice under Reg 76 $240.00. Referrals: Commissioner of Highways where the development involves land division $476.00; Native Vegetation Council $763.00; EPA site contamination $1,639.00. Urban Tree Canopy Off-set $533 / $1,065 / $1,598 by tree size.
Open space contribution (a contribution, not an application fee): $10,166.00 per new allotment within Greater Adelaide not exceeding one hectare; $3,723.00 elsewhere in South Australia.
Western Australia
Western Australian Planning Commission. Subdivision approval in WA is a WAPC decision, not a council decision; the fee scope is uniform across the state under the Planning and Development Regulations 2009. Page last updated 8 July 2026.
Most fees are on a sliding scale based on the number of lots. Fees for approval of subdivision (Form 1A) are set in the Planning and Development (Fees) Notice 2021 as amended, Item 1(a), and may be updated by notice published in the Government Gazette.
We are not publishing a WA dollar figure. The worked example on WAPC’s page concerns an amendment to an existing survey-strata scheme, and we could not verify the directly applicable current freehold Form 1A schedule. WAPC subdivision fees are based on the applicable current schedule and your lot count — check the current fee notice before you budget.
What actually drives the cost
Statutory fees are only one part of the total. Surveying, planning, civil works and service connections are separately quoted and can materially change the final project cost. We have not published cost rankings for those items because we could not source a defensible professional cost dataset for them.
Lot count is the most reliably cost-linked variable among the statutory fees — almost every schedule above scales per lot, and NSW’s registry charges a full lodgment fee again for each lot after the first.
Whether services already reach the frontage. If water, sewer, power or telecommunications must be extended, relocated or upsized, you move from a published application fee to constructed works that are quoted per site.
Slope and earthworks drive cut and fill, retaining, driveway gradient and stormwater design — and in Victoria they compound, because three council fees are struck as percentages of construction cost.
Whether an existing dwelling stays constrains lot geometry, setbacks, driveway position and service separation.
Battle-axe versus standard lots changes driveway length, service trench length, stormwater run, turning and waste collection, and usually requires easements — which are separately priced (NSW charges $182.71 incl GST per affecting interest).
Also: existing easements; vegetation and tree protection (SA prices this explicitly); flood, bushfire and coastal overlays; heritage; biodiversity contributions; contamination history; boundary evidence quality and title type; and whether a public road is created — which in NSW moves you between fee items and in SA between fee circumstances.
Financing a subdivision
The central fact: new titles do not exist until the plan is registered — after approval, after conditions are satisfied, after final survey. Until separate titles are created, financing and security arrangements will generally relate to the existing title. The exact structure depends on the property, lender and proposed subdivision.
The verified schedules above show costs landing in at least three separate stages: application (planning fee, referrals), works and compliance (engineering checking, supervision, service connections, contributions), and registration (final survey, registry lodgement, legal). Victoria’s certification fee and South Australia’s $1,229 Certificate of Approval both sit at the end — well after the application fee is spent.
Contributions are usually a condition, not an option. At $13,000.73 per lot in Greater Sydney or $10,166 per allotment in Greater Adelaide, they should be modelled explicitly from your own jurisdiction’s current schedule rather than buried in a contingency.
Holding-cost duration is the sleeper risk. Sydney Water’s Notice of Requirements alone is valid 12 months; council assessment, works and registration each add their own timeframe. Budget for an uncertain timeline, not a fixed one.
On lending: whether these costs can be capitalised into a facility, and on what terms, varies between lenders and changes over time. Some lenders may treat a subdivision differently from a straightforward construction project, particularly around the timing of titling versus drawdown. We are not stating any lender’s policy here. Our guide to land and construction loans covers how those facilities are generally structured, and construction loan interest rates explains the pricing side.
Build your own stack. Take your jurisdiction’s current published fee schedule, add quotes for the quoted items — survey, planning, civil, service works — and price contributions from your own council’s plan. That is a real number. An internet average is not.
If the point of subdividing is to build, our cost guides for a duplex, a townhouse and a house pick up where this one stops. If a second dwelling on the existing title is the simpler route, see granny flat finance.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to subdivide land in Australia?
There is no national figure, and we have deliberately not invented one. Subdivision is governed state by state on structurally different fee bases. Statutory fees are only one part of the total — surveying, planning, civil works and service connections are separately quoted and can materially change the final project cost. Build the cost from your own jurisdiction’s published schedule plus quotes.
What are the different parts of the cost?
Statutory fees are published and verifiable — for example $210 in South Australia for a straightforward division, or $1,537 for a two-lot permit in Victoria. Alongside those sit separately quoted items: surveying, planning, civil works and service connections, plus infrastructure contributions where they apply. We have not ranked these against each other, because we could not source a professional cost dataset that would support a ranking.
Can I subdivide my land?
That depends entirely on your zone, minimum lot size, overlays and council controls — all set by your state planning framework and your local council. It is the first question to put to a planner, before you spend anything.
Do I pay per lot?
Usually, yes, in part. NSW adds $53 or $65 per additional lot to the application fee and charges the full registry lodgment fee again for each lot after the first; Queensland charges $36.49 per lot defined; South Australia $19.10 per additional allotment beyond four; Western Australia’s scale is per lot. Victoria is the outlier, charging per 100 lots created.
Which states does this guide cover?
We verified official fee material for New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia. We did not check Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory or the Northern Territory. The ACT in particular works differently in kind — land there is held under Crown leasehold rather than freehold, with lease variation charges — so nothing in this guide should be applied to it.
When do the fees change?
Most reset on 1 July annually. Western Australia’s change by Government Gazette notice at irregular intervals, and the NSW Housing and Productivity Contribution re-indexes quarterly. Always check the current schedule.
Talk it through before you commit
If you are weighing up a subdivision, get the planning advice first and the finance structure second. Start a finance enquiry, call 1300 391 390, or use our contact page.
Written and reviewed by the team at Little Home Loans.
This article is general information only and does not constitute credit, financial, legal, planning or tax advice. Fees stated are official published figures with their effective dates as at 2 September 2026 and change regularly — verify against the relevant authority before relying on them. Coverage is limited to New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia; Tasmania, the ACT and the Northern Territory were not examined. Planning and subdivision law is state-based and council requirements vary within each state. Little Home Loans is an information platform; finance enquiries are referred to Alpha390 Finance, which operates under Australian Credit Licence 506065 (Five Tees Pty Ltd). Lending is subject to approval, lending criteria, terms, conditions and fees.
