Land use planning and building control at Sydney Airport is regulated by the Airports Act 1996. The Act requires that all building approvals for construction activity on Sydney Airport land are issued under Commonwealth law rather than NSW state law.

Building activities at Sydney Airport are permitted only when approval has been granted by the Airport Building Controller (ABC) and by Sydney Airport.

For further information on development assessment at Sydney Airport, refer to the Sydney Airport Master Plan 2039 - Appendix E

Airport Building Control Regulations 2.04A and 2.04B require that information on the following building applications and building/planning determinations is published:

• building applications that have been/are to be lodged with the ABC for approval
• airport lessee consents or refusals that have been issued by Sydney Airport for proposed building activities
• building approvals or refusals that have been issued by the ABC
• withdrawals of applications

As a result, Sydney Airport has published a Register of Building Applications.