The NSW Government is investing almost half a million dollars to a pilot program in Sydney’s Sutherland Shire exploring a new way to cut red tape and speed up housing approvals.
Housing is the number one cost-of-living concern facing NSW families today, which is why the Minns Labor Government has introduced the most comprehensive set of reforms to housing in a generation.
The $472,000 Sutherland-Kirrawee Groundwater Investigation Pilot is a new initiative aimed at accelerating housing supply across the two suburbs.
New developments that require excavation such as residential buildings with basement car parks often need dewatering, which is the removal of groundwater before, during, and after construction.
This can slow down development applications because up to three months of groundwater data is required before a DA can be lodged.
The Sutherland-Kirrawee Groundwater Investigation Pilot aims to speed up this process by setting up a local network of 20 to 30 groundwater monitoring bores to collect the data builders need.
Data will be made publicly available, improving efficiency in the development application process and reducing costs.
The bore network will collect data for up to three years, building a dataset that can potentially support faster approvals and better planning well into the future.
The initiative is led by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) and funded by the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI).
It’s another way the Minns Labor Government is reducing red tape to improve the planning system, speed up approvals, and build more of the homes NSW desperately needs.
In the past 12 months, the Government has:
- Overhauled the state’s nearly 50-year-old planning legislation with the Planning System Reforms Act 2025 a modern, faster, and fairer planning system.
- Established the Development Coordination Authority (DCA) to cut red tape and speed up approvals for new homes.
- Pushed housing approvals up 13.5 per cent this year compared to the previous 12 months and planning approvals are now 30 per cent faster.
Minister for Planning and Public Space Paul Scully:
“Through this pilot we’re doing the work, making reliable groundwater data readily available so builders can get on with building much needed homes sooner.
“That means faster approvals, more certainty and more homes delivered in an area of Sydney we know is growing quickly.”
Minister for Housing and Water Rose Jackson:
“I don’t want a single project held up by a process that could be streamlined. This pilot is a practical example of how we’re reducing delays and helping get more homes built sooner.
“We’re doing the groundwork upfront, potentially cutting months off the approvals process so builders can get on with the job sooner. It means less red tape, lower costs, the fast-tracking of new homes while also maintaining high environmental standards.”
Member for Heathcote Maryanne Stuart said:
“We’re doing the groundwork upfront to speed up approvals, lower costs and fast track new homes.
“This pilot removes a major bottleneck while maintaining high environmental standards, helping builders deliver the homes our community needs sooner.”
