Online lodgement of DAs set to save time
01 March 2017
Ministerial Media Release from Anthony Roberts, Minister for Planning, Minister for Housing and Special Minister of State
The time it takes homeowners and builders to prepare and submit a development application will go from up to 10 days to less than 30 minutes thanks to a new online lodgement beginning later this year.
“Cutting red tape and faster housing approvals are Premier’s Priorities and with online lodgement, we are doing just that,” Minister for Planning and Housing, Anthony Roberts said.
Presently, the average time it takes to investigate, prepare, submit, lodge and track a DA manually is up to 10 days, but with the new online lodgement on the Department of Planning and Environment’s Planning Portal it will take less than half an hour.
“This will save people so much time and make the entire DA process easier and more efficient”.
“The Planning Portal is up and running, but this new functionality for online lodgement will improve people’s lives.
“It will also allow people to view spatial data about a property online, rather than go to council. This could take 1-3 days to complete and submit a DA, but with online lodgement a homeowner could do it 10 minutes”.
Currently, a number of individual councils allow some applications to be lodged electronically; however, the new Portal will eventually be the one-stop shop for development applications and complying development certificate submissions.
“We’re getting down to business making it easier for homeowners and developers to lodge their applications. Copying and printing heavy tomes and delivering them should be a thing of the past in this digital age”.
“This will also benefit people in the bush who live hours away from council offices.
“Eventually the portal will connect any type of application to be lodged to any council in NSW. This will provide a uniform and consistent approach across the board”.
Changes to the Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulation 2000 to allow online lodgement of applications has been made public and community feedback is encouraged.
To make a submission visit the Planning Portal at www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/publications/exhibition.