Development Control Plans - Guideline documents created by Council. Local Environment Plans Planning Agreements - Current and draft planning agreements within the Great Lakes. Draft Great Lakes Local Environmental Plan 2012 (Draft LEP 2012) - Public exhibition information on Draft Great Lakes Local Environment Plan 2012. Draft Great Lakes Development Control Plan 2012 (Draft DCP 2012) - Public exhibition information on Draft Great Lakes Development Control Plan 2012.

 Development Controls may be separated into four categories:

• Legislation - created at state, regional and local levels; but made legal by the state government. Legislation includes but is not limited to:  Environmental Planning & Assessment Act 1979; State Environmental Planning Policies; and Local Environmental Plans (LEP).
• Local Environmental Plans - land use and development are regulated by zones and development standards contained within a Council's Local Environmental Plan (LEP).  Great Lakes is subject to the provisions of two curent LEP documents:
• • Great Lakes Local Environmental Plan 1996
  • Manning Local Environmental Plan No.1
• Amendments to Local Environmental Plans are now processed through the NSW Department of Planning Gateway Determination Process. Amendments to local environmental plans must be considered during the preparation of a development application, these amendments are either in the form of Draft Local Environmental Plan Amendments or Planning Proposals.
• Strategies - created at state, regional and local levels; these are broad policy documents which assist state and local government in guiding future development - where, when and how future development may occur. In the Great Lakes a significant amount of Future Planning has occurred, as reflected in both a regional and several local strategies.
• Development Controls

  - created at the local level; these are more detailed documents which guide specific development proposals - i.e. what future development should 'look like' or how it should be undertaken. These controls may take the form of Development Control Plans or Council Policies. "Draft" Development Control Plans may be prepared to update existing controls or create controls for the first time.