Property Council ACT & Capital Region Executive Director, Ashlee Berry, said the latest ABS Building Approvals data for August, out today, showed that fixing issues in the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal (ACAT) and Development Application (DA) process was essential for the city's future growth.
"To build the homes Canberra needs, we need to speed up and simplify the system," Ms Berry said.
"The current delays and uncertain decisions from ACAT are holding back new housing. The next government needs to commit to shorter timeframes for making decisions and set clear deadlines for resolving appeals," she said.
The Property Council has laid out a series of recommendations to improve the planning process in its Election Platform.
"We're calling for changes to third-party appeal rights, which often cause unnecessary delays, and we're asking for Lease Variation Charge decisions to be handled by an independent expert, like the President of the Australian Property Institute," Ms Berry said.
Ms Berry also stressed the need for faster approvals of Development Applications (DAs), especially for larger and more complex projects.
"We need to get more DAs moving faster. The latest ABS data out today shows the trend estimate for total dwellings in the ACT fell by 24.6 per cent, with fewer than 100 homes approved last month.
"The Chief Planner should have the authority to approve projects that deliver good outcomes, even if other agencies disagree, and the next government should publish more information about how long planning decisions are taking so that we can all see where improvements are needed.
"The property sector is ready to work with the government to solve these problems, but we need a planning system that works efficiently, fairly, and transparently," she said.
