To check an off-plan project in Australia, match what the developer tells you against the official record before each payment. Start with the 3 official registers listed below, then ask the questions that the 21 projects we track in Australia most often leave open.
The check most often missing in Australia: deposit protection (not public for 20 of 21 projects).
- Official registers
- What projects here leave out
- Questions to ask the developer
- Free check
- Questions and answers
Step 1: official registers in Australia#
State planning portals (Australia)
- What it proves
- Development applications and approvals, conditions and environmental documents for larger projects. Each state runs its own (the link is New South Wales).
- What it does not prove
- Ownership, or that the developer can complete.
- How to search
- Use the planning portal of the state and council where the project is and search by address or application number.
Open the official register (opens in a new tab) www.planning.nsw.gov.au
From our register guide.
ASIC registers (Australia)
- What it proves
- The developer company exists, its status and, through paid extracts, its officers.
- What it does not prove
- Its financial strength, or links to failed companies run by the same people unless you look them up.
- How to search
- Search the company name, ACN or ABN on the ASIC registers.
Open the official register (opens in a new tab) asic.gov.au
From our register guide.
State land titles office (Australia)
- What it proves
- The registered owner of the land and mortgages or caveats.
- What it does not prove
- Planning approval.
- How to search
- Order a title search from the land registry of the state where the project is.
No public online search; ask the authority directly.
From our register guide.
Step 2: what off-plan projects in Australia leave out#
Share of the 21 tracked projects that make each check public, and how many are confirmed by an official register or independent source.
| Check | Public | Not public | Confirmed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Permit or licence number | 8 (38%) | 13 | 14 |
| Deposit protection | 1 (5%) | 20 | 0 |
| Construction progress | 8 (38%) | 13 | 11 |
| Site or floor plans | 4 (19%) | 17 | 0 |
| Developer track record | 19 (90%) | 2 | 13 |
| No guaranteed-return language | 21 (100%) | 0 | 0 |
Step 3: questions to ask the developer#
The questions our research agent raised most often for projects in Australia, with how many projects they apply to. Each one points at a gap in what the developer publishes.
- Completion advertised for 2027: does progress on site match? (21 of 21 projects)
- No deposit protection published: will your payments go into an escrow or trust account in your name? (20 of 21 projects)
- A building permit is claimed: does it exist in the official system and match this plot? (11 of 21 projects)
- No building permit mentioned: ask for the number before paying. (10 of 21 projects)
- A permit number is published: does it exist in the official register and match this plot? (8 of 21 projects)
- Title type not stated: leasehold, freehold or a company structure? (6 of 21 projects)
- Legal dispute reported in public sources: ask the developer for the current status, in writing. (1 of 21 projects)
Send them in writing: ask the developer with our template.
Step 4: run a free check#
Paste the project page into the free desk review: our agent reads it, quotes every claim and looks it up in the registers above where it can. Then see all projects we track in Australia.
Questions and answers#
What should I check before buying off-plan in Australia?
The permit or licence number, deposit protection, construction progress, plans, the developer's track record and any guaranteed-return promise. In Australia the check most often missing is deposit protection (20 of 21 tracked projects do not publish it).
Is there an official register to check an off-plan project in Australia?
Yes: State planning portals; ASIC registers; State land titles office.
What do developers in Australia most often leave unanswered?
Completion advertised for 2027: does progress on site match? (21 of 21 projects).
Are you the developer, or did we get something wrong? Send documents and we add your reply or correct the record: right of reply · corrections. Every figure here is computed from the open dataset (/data/bali-cases.json, CC BY 4.0) and changes when the data changes.