Artificial intelligence (AI) can help speed up planning processes by harnessing the power of big data, improving productivity and reducing the administrative burden on planners.
The NSW Government is investing in understanding how councils can use existing, mature AI and other digital solutions to enhance the local development application process, particularly in the pre-lodgement phase.
The AI in NSW planning project aims to:
1. Improve the quality of submitted applications so councils can assess them more efficiently.
2. Find a selection of suitable AI and digital products that are ready to deploy and that councils can start using right away.
AI Solutions Panel
The AI Solutions Panel was created in April 2024. It is a centralised resource of mature and suitable AI products that councils can procure and integrate into their development assessment workflows.
We evaluated solutions against essential criteria including, but not limited to:
- alignment with the identified use cases (priority areas)
- compliance with all relevant NSW Government AI policies such as the NSW AI Assessment Framework and AI Ethics Policy.
All NSW councils can start procurement for product solutions through the AI Solutions Panel.
We will routinely refresh the AI Solutions Panel with more AI solutions that are market-ready, and address use cases we identify in collaboration with NSW councils.
From 18 October 2024, another product solution is available for councils to procure and integrate into their planning systems. More information on the latest product is available in the AI Solutions Panel supplier list.
View the AI Solutions Panel Supplier List (PDF, 590 KB) for:
- a list of successful suppliers
- the selected product solutions
- a summary of the product offering.
For detailed supplier information, including pricing and product details, councils can email [email protected]
Information and guidance for councils:
- Artificial Intelligence Solutions Panel Operating Guideline (PDF, 762 KB)
- AI Solutions Panel Contracting Framework Training (recording available on request).
The department has held two virtual events for councils, showcasing the successful products available on the AI Solutions Panel. The showcase events included an introduction to the panel, supplier presentations and Q&A.
Council staff can request event recordings by contacting the AI in NSW Planning project team at [email protected].
Early Adopter Grant Program
The NSW Government has awarded more than $2.7 million to 16 councils to trial AI in their planning systems through the Early Adopter Grant Program. Councils will use grant funding to implement AI solutions from the existing selection of products on the AI Solutions Panel.
The objectives of the grant are to:
- progressively improve the assessment effort and overall processing efficiency for development applications by improving their pre-lodgement process
- enable councils to readily introduce AI technology into their digital environments
- improve the development application process for all users, including homeowners, councils and developers, and give the building industry confidence
- help achieve annual housing targets across NSW by enhancing the local development application process.
Applications for the Early Adopter Grant Program were open 30 April to 22 May 2024. For more information on the grant program, read the Early Adopter Grant Program Guideline (PDF, 8.2 MB).
Successful councils must report on and show progress throughout the grant project. Grant projects must be completed by 30 June 2025.
| Council | Funding amount |
|---|---|
| Bayside City Council | $120,000 |
| Blacktown City Council | $190,000 |
| Burwood Council | $200,000 |
| Cessnock City Council | $200,000 |
| City of Canterbury Bankstown | $194,228 |
| City of Newcastle Council, Central Coast Council and Muswellbrook Shire Council (joint application) | $390,200 |
| Cumberland City Council | $190,000 |
| Eurobodalla Shire Council | $169,116 |
| Hawkesbury City Council | $143,938 |
| Inner West Council | $156,000 |
| Lake Macquarie City Council | $200,000 |
| Randwick City Council | $190,400 |
| Wagga Wagga City Council | $170,000 |
| Wingecarribee Shire Council | $200,000 |
Key dates
| Date | Activity |
|---|---|
| 30 April 2024 | AI Solutions Panel established |
| 3 May 2024 | AI Solutions Panel Product Showcase for NSW councils |
| 7 May 2024 | Contracting framework training session for NSW councils |
| 16 May 2024 | Applications open to industry for new tender process |
| 22 May 2024 | Early Adopter Grant Program applications close |
| Early July 2024 | Grant funding distributed |
| 18 October 2024 | AI Solutions Panel refreshed |
| 31 October 2024 | Second AI Solutions Panel Product Showcase for NSW councils |
Dates may be subject to change.
Program details
Artificial intelligence refers to computer systems imitating human intelligence, enabling them to perform tasks that humans usually do. This can include problem-solving, learning and decision-making.
Most AI tools use ‘machine learning’. Instead of telling a machine what to do, it learns for itself after receiving lots of examples of the right and wrong way to do a task. For example, if you give an AI tool lots of data that shows a driverless car being driven correctly, it eventually learns to do the same itself.
The department is exploring how AI can help NSW councils create workflow efficiencies at the pre-lodgement phase of the local development application process. That is, how AI could help councils with processes for preparing an application.
The project has confirmed a panel of suitable existing and mature AI solutions that councils can readily integrate into their pre-lodgement workflows. The successful solutions are now available on an approved supplier list for councils to procure and implement.
As much as possible, the department is focusing on existing and mature AI product solutions. Selected solutions have met proof-of-value and proof-of-concept requirements.
In collaboration with councils, we identified key priority areas, or ‘use cases’, applying AI.
The identified focus areas allow us to consider solution workflows such as complying development certificates as part of this process.
The key priority areas are:
1. Pathways and requirements finder
How might councils help prospective applicants identify site-specific development requirements for complying development and/or development applications so that they can speed up their development process?
2. Material self-assessment health check
How might councils help applicants do a self-assessment before lodging their development application, so that they can address any potential barriers or gaps in their documentation?
3. Risk-based triage
How might council staff quickly identify non-compliant elements within a submission for development applications and/or complying development so that the triage process is efficient and improves council’s productivity?
4. Material assurance
How might council staff verify an applicant's supplied documentation, so that they can have confidence about the quality and provenance of the material submitted?
5. Site-specific documentation support
How might council give guidance on site-specific development application documentation, so that the relevance and quality of documents improves, and the pre-lodgement process is more efficient?
We will routinely refresh the AI Solutions Panel with more AI solutions that are market-ready, and address use cases we identified in collaboration with NSW councils.
We announced the first competitive open tender process in February 2024, which resulted in the creation of the AI Solutions Panel.
We announced the latest open tender process in May 2024 and the outcomes in September 2024.
The department co-designed the priority areas alongside councils, through several collaboration sessions. This approach has ensured that the AI product solutions show they can improve council pre-lodgement workflows, and can be integrated into existing council systems.
Data privacy and security will be prioritised. There will be robust measures in place to ensure the safe handling and protection of all information. We will evaluate all products against existing legal frameworks, the NSW Government AI Assurance Framework and the NSW AI Ethics Policy.
There is currently only one round of funding available.
We will require grant recipients to give regular project milestone reports and a final acquittal report at the completion of the grant project. They will also have to take part in ongoing program evaluation and benefits appraisal.
The department may pursue a structured benefits realisation path after 30 June 2024, depending on continued funding decisions.
The department will follow the NSW Government AI Assurance Framework and NSW AI Ethics Policy, which set out 5 overarching principles: trust, transparency, customer benefit, fairness, privacy and accountability.
A key ethical pillar of any use of AI in planning will be transparency. This will guide how the department and councils engage with external providers of AI technologies.
We will need to consider intellectual property rights for models and algorithms in any engagements with service providers. The department and councils must be able to provide their customers with meaningful information about how decisions are made and how data is used.