Centralised Development Planning
The Council of Australian Governments agreed to create a single system of development assessment processes covering all three levels of government, with major nation-building programs to be dealt with by one co-ordinator who would address all approval requirements. Building codes will be harmonised, with the states agreeing to measure their performance to ensure better approval times. And to reduce red tape and costs for developers although developers do have some concerns about potential for extended delays.
In principle this sounds great but having sat on Development Assessment panels I was horrified at the incredible delays that can happen. My mind does boggle slightly at trying to move things along with 3 levels of government involved.
When a business plans a development and organises the finances, waiting for months or even years in some cases is ridiculous. They money ends up being used elsewhere because it can’t just sit idle. Good planning is vital but ultra conservatism is not always the best way.
Complicating this, a review of the federal Environment Protection Act, released this week has been lobbied by green groups who want greenhouse gas emissions to be added to the triggers that require any proposed development to be referred to the federal environment minister. One would think that simple setting emission standards would do.
The potential for significant projects to be tied up in an extra layer of bureaucracy would appear to flow counter to yesterday’s push at the Council of Australian Governments to develop national performance measures on development approvals designed to speed economic recovery.
John Sheahan from the Australian Property Institute said the innate conservatism of local councils would mean Mr Garrett’s office could be flooded with referred applications it did not have the resources to deal with.
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