Assessment of low-risk and uncomplicated development applications will be streamlined under a new Council initiative.
Council will introduce an Express DA program from July, which will allow for decision-ready, low-risk applications that meet certain eligibility criteria to be assessed within 10 business days.
Formulated to respond to the evolving needs of development in the region, Deputy Mayor Terry James, who chairs Council’s Planning and Environment Committee, said the initiative was a win for developers and the community.
“The initiative will ‘speed up’ approvals, but just as importantly will maintain Council’s rigorous assessment process to ensure developments meet relevant planning requirements,” he said.
“It comes in response to significant development activity across the region and our commitment to streamlining the assessment process for low-risk applications.
“This was one key strategy identified in Council’s Development and Planning Customer Service Charter, that looked to improve our service delivery and enhance customer satisfaction.
“It demonstrates that Council has listened to concerns and is committed to working with the industry to make things easier, while not compromising on community expectations.”
Express DA will allow suitably qualified and accredited professionals to lodge certain types of planning applications in a way that enables the Council to promptly issue decisions for those applications.
Cr James said a rigorous accreditation program would ensure accountability and utilisation of professional consultants as part of the Express DA program.
“Only consultants who, through their expertise, experience, integrity and honesty will be able to use the Express DA process,” he said.
“Furthermore, random auditing to assess and monitor the competence of accredited professionals will be undertaken, which means we can ensure that applications meet Council standards and community expectations.”
Council will facilitate a staged roll-out of the Express DA program, with Stage 1 considered the pilot and a detailed review to be undertaken in the first three months of implementation.
“Importantly, development types included in the first stage of the program are considered to be low-risk and considered to of low complexity,” Cr James said.
“They have also been identified as developments that will enable the local industry to respond quickly to the demand of increased housing needs in our region.
“Council will review the rollout of the Express DA initiative after three months, and all going well, will consider further development types to be included in the program.”
Implementation of the Express DA program demonstrates Council’s commitment to a collaborative and continuous approach to business improvement, while positioning the organisation as a leader in establishing best practice for planning and land use management.
