Faster housing approvals unlocks $73 million for local infrastructure

Across NSW, 44 councils are set to share in up to $73 million to deliver roads, parks and open spaces and community facilities to support growing communities, after speeding up development assessments and clearing housing backlogs under the second round of the Minns Labor Government’s Faster Assessments Incentive Program.

This is up from 35 councils in the first round as more councils are approving projects more quickly. The successful councils met the 105-day benchmark set under the Minister’s Statement of Expectations in FY 2025-26 and recording an average assessment timeframe of 78 days, eight days faster than last year.

The Government set housing targets in 2024, delivering on its election commitment to rebalance housing growth across the state and deliver more well-located homes close to transport, jobs and existing infrastructure.

Faster approvals mean more homes can move through the planning system and into construction sooner, giving young people, growing families and downsizers more housing choice across NSW.

And as more homes are built, communities need the infrastructure to support that growth. That’s why the Government committed $200 million to councils to deliver and maintain local infrastructure, including parks and sporting facilities, as well as local streets and footpaths.

The turnaround in assessment timeframes has been sharpest in councils that once lagged furthest behind. Sutherland Shire Council slashed its average assessment timeframe from 177 days to 97 days in just 12 months, an 80-day improvement that has now made it eligible for Round Two funding.

Other standout gains include 88 days shaved off in Willoughby, 59 in Ballina and 55 in Queanbeyan-Palerang.

The results follow targeted support from the Government’s Expert Planner Program, which embedded experienced planners in councils to clear backlogs and fix broken processes, and builds on last week’s announcement of free training for up to 950 council development assessment officers through the new NSW Planning Practice Program.

Average development application assessment times have been cut by more than 30 per cent since the election of the Minns Labor Government and the publication of league tables of council performance.

The Minns Labor Government will now make up to $73 million available through Round Two, with successful councils eligible for grants of up to $3 million to deliver the roads, parks, open spaces and community facilities their growing populations need, based on each council’s housing target or, for regional councils without one, anticipated dwelling growth.

The $200 million Faster Assessments Incentive Program supports councils in high and medium growth areas over the next three years and sits alongside the Government’s broader $520 million investment in open space and active transport around Transport Oriented Development precincts and $40 million through the Better Open Spaces program for parks, sports fields, swim spots and town squares.

The program is open to 53 councils across the state with housing targets, or implied dwelling demand, above 1,000 homes.

The first round awarded around $54 million to 30 councils, with a further $7 million reserved for five eligible Round One councils whose projects remain subject to further assessment.

NSW recently recorded its highest number of homes under construction in seven years, leading the nation with more than 80,000 homes currently being built.

This is part of the Minns Labor Government’s plan to build a better NSW with more homes, jobs, parks and services, so young people, families and key local workers have somewhere to live and work in the communities they choose.

For more information about the Faster Assessments Incentive Program, visit NSW Planning.

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said:

“Councils that were once taking months longer than the benchmark are now turning their performance around and getting decisions made faster.

“We set clear expectations, backed councils with practical support, and created strong incentives to improve, and communities are now feeling the benefit, with approvals for homes and job-creating projects being made more quickly.

“More homes moving through the system faster means more choice for young people and families who just want a foot in the door, whether that is their first home or their next one.

“We are matching that growth with the infrastructure to support it, because new communities need parks, roads and open space just as much as they need homes.

“This is what a government focused on outcomes looks like: real reform, real support, and real results for the people trying to build homes in this state.

“Faster assessments mean more certainty for people wanting to build, renovate or invest, while better performing councils can unlock funding for the infrastructure their growing communities need.”

Successful councils in Round 2: