Local Government NSW (LGNSW) has welcomed the NSW Government’s publication of a league table of all 22 State Agencies to monitor and hold to account their own planning performance.
Rural and Regional Vice President of LGNSW, MidCoast Council Mayor Claire Pontin says publishing the list is recognition that there are many different stakeholders that have a role in development assessment.
“Councils across the State welcome this increased transparency,” said Mayor Pontin.
“It’s good to see the State finally publish the data from their own agencies, as the council league tables have been published monthly since last July.”
The tracker has been developed by the NSW Housing Taskforce, a multi-agency group within the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure, tasked with accelerating the assessment and commencement of housing projects.
The State Agency League Tables will publish data on the number of Concurrences, Integrated development approvals and Referrals (CIRs) for each Government agency over the last six months.
It will also measure how many of these groups are meeting their legislated timeframes, with an expectation of meeting that timeframe in 90 per cent of all cases.
“We want the planning pipeline from lodgement, to assessment, commencement and completion, to be working as efficiently as possible, because that is what will actually see a family, a downsizer or a young person put a key in the door of their new home,” said Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Paul Scully.
“The Housing Taskforce has unlocked around 31,000 homes since it was formed, I anticipate that the Agency League Table will see even more homes move from approval to commencement.
“Just like what we have done with councils, this is about holding ourselves to account, improving our own performance and making sure that everyone is able to get into a home.”
While helpful, the league tables are not picture-perfect for planning, says Mayor Pontin.
“They don’t account for the days and weeks councils are waiting for responses to requests for additional information,” she said.
“They also don’t account for the differences between councils that affect timelines, and these can include the volume, type and complexity of development applications, and the proportion of those development applications requiring concurrences from the NSW Government.”
“Now that the Council League Tables can be read in conjunction with the data on State agencies, we are beginning to get a more realistic picture on why delays might be occurring.”
The NSW Government first undertook to publish the State agency data in November 2023 and at the time, they also committed to publishing housing approval times or delays for all State Significant Developments (SSD). While this is yet to occur, Mayor Pontin remains hopeful it will.
“LGNSW continues to call on the NSW Government to increase transparency around its own SSD approval times, particularly as it seeks to expand the use of the SSD pathway,” says Mayor Pontin.
Mayor Pontin says councils welcome genuine reform of the planning process and are already active in this space.
“As the first sphere of government, closest to the people we serve, councils stand ready to work with State and Federal counterparts to deliver for our communities,” she said.
The first League Table of State Government Agencies can be viewed online.
