The development application (DA) process in New South Wales (NSW) is facing criticism for its complexity and slow pace, hindering efforts to address the state's housing crisis. Premier Chris Minns established the Housing Delivery Authority (HDA) to expedite select new builds, bypassing the traditional approval system. While the HDA aims to streamline approvals, it has been met with resistance from councils who argue that inefficiencies stem from state agencies. The article explores the challenges within the DA process, highlighting delays, accountability concerns, and differing perspectives on the role of councils and state agencies in accelerating housing supply.
Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time.Before any home can be built in NSW , a development application must be approved. But the process leading to the final sign-off couldn’t be more complicated.
The environmental, social and economic implications of a new build are among the factors addressed, which also considers construction standards and energy usage.A DA must be approved by a council and lodged with a state agency before a construction certificate can be obtained.A one-page flowchart demonstrates the five-stage approval process for a DA.
North Sydney Mayor Zoe Baker says agencies such as Sydney Water and State Emergency Service slow housing supply.Darriea Turley, the outgoing president of peak body Local Government NSW, said builders were also responsible for delaying construction on applications swiftly approved by councils. Scully, who will receive recommendations from the HDA and hold final decision-making power on projects green-lit through the pathway, said the triumvirate would “streamline approvals” to improve housing outcomes across the state.
“The proposed fast-track rezoning pathway that bypasses council involvement is concerning, and places significant decision-making power in the hands of a few,” Borg said.Transparency concerns were echoed by University of Sydney urban planning lecturer Catherine Gilbert, who found it was “not clear” how the HDA would be making its assessments.
Gilbert suggested that a mandated affordable housing contribution for “targeted cohorts”, such as young people in housing stress, could ensure equitable access to new builds approved by the HDA.
Housing Crisis Development Approvals NSW Housing Delivery Authority Bureaucracy
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