Agency League Tables a Step Towards Faster Housing Approvals
The Property Council of Australia today welcomed the NSW Government's launch of new State Agency League Tables, a transparency measure designed to track the performance of government agencies in processing development approvals.
The League Tables, developed by the Housing Taskforce, will monitor Concurrences, Integrated Development approvals, and Referrals (CIRs) across 22 government agencies, to make sure they meet legislated timeframes in at least 90 per cent of cases.
Property Council NSW Executive Director Katie Stevenson said the initiative is a step towards greater accountability in the planning system but stressed the need for further reform.
"The release of State Agency League Tables is a positive move towards holding government agencies accountable for unnecessary delays that slow down the delivery of new homes," Ms Stevenson said.
"For too long, projects have been caught in a bureaucratic bottleneck, with post-approval processes delaying shovel-ready developments. We have been calling for government action on this issue for some time, including in our Budget submission and our mid-term assessment of the Government's performance."
The Property Council has consistently advocated for efforts to streamline agency approvals to make the planning system faster, more transparent, and more efficient. In particular, the Council is calling for:
- A review of referral duplication, such as emergency services assessments occurring at both the planning proposal and development application stages.
- Better coordination of agency referrals, so that cases are resolved in a timely manner.
- An overhaul of post-consent processes, recognising that many developments remain stalled even after receiving approval.
- Consideration of a best-practice model, such as the Queensland Government's State Assessment and Referral Agency, to speed up decision-making.
"The Housing Taskforce has already demonstrated that better coordination between agencies can accelerate housing delivery, and we expect this new measure to drive further improvements," Ms Stevenson said.
"However, there is more to do. Many approved projects remain stalled due to unnecessary post-consent hurdles. The NSW Government must now turn its focus to clearing these roadblocks by simplifying the design modification process and making sure agencies are adequately resourced to handle an increased volume of applications," she said.
