NSW Government launching agency league table

The Minns Labor Government is publishing State Agency League Tables to monitor and hold the performance of 22 state Government agencies, state-owned corporations and electrical supply authorities delivering development in NSW to account.

Council performance on Development Application assessments have been published since July last year and this has resulted in a 10 per cent improvement in performance.

With the success of the Council League Tables in improving overall assessment timeframes for councils, the Government is launching a second league table to hold itself accountable on housing delivery and development across NSW.

The tracker has been developed by the Housing Taskforce, a multi-agency group within the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure, tasked with accelerating the assessment and commencement of housing projects.

The State Agency League Tables will publish data on the number of Concurrences, Integrated development approvals and Referrals (CIRs) for each Government agency over the last six months.

It will also measure how many of these groups are meeting their legislated timeframes, with an expectation of meeting that timeframe in 90 per cent of all cases.

Delays or conflicts in approvals or advice from agencies can result in delays to a council issuing a development approval.

This means people are waiting longer to move into their new home, only worsening our housing supply challenges and locking the next generation out of housing.

The Minns Government formed the Housing Taskforce to tackle this problem by bringing representatives from each agency together to resolve these conflicts.

Since its formation, the Housing Taskforce has resolved 1,985 CIR cases unblocking around 31,800 dwellings. This has resulted in the determination of 704 Development Applications at a 94 per cent approval rate.

The release of the Agency League Table data is the next step in increasing transparency and accountability for each agency, state-owned corporation and electrical supply authority.

This is all part of the Minns Government’s plan to build a better NSW with more homes and services, so young people, families and key local workers have somewhere to live and in the communities they choose.

The State Agency League Table builds on the Minns Government’s recent reforms to the planning system to speed up the delivery of more homes, including:

• The development of the NSW Pattern Book and accelerated planning pathway for those who use the pre-approved patterns.
• The largest rezoning in NSW history around transport hubs and shopping centres to address the “missing middle.”
• The largest ever investment in the delivery of social and affordable housing in NSW.
• $200 million in financial incentives for councils that meet the new expectations for development applications, planning proposals and strategic planning.
• $450 million to build new apartments for essential workers including nurses, paramedics, teachers, allied health care workers, police officers and firefighters.

For more information view the State Agency League Table.

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said:

“We want the planning pipeline from lodgement, to assessment, commencement and completion, to be working as efficiently as possible, because that is what will actually see a family, a downsizer or a young person put a key in the door of their new home.

“The Housing Taskforce has unlocked around 31,000 homes since it was formed, I anticipate that the Agency League Table will see even more homes move from approval to commencement.

“Just like what we have done with councils, this is about holding ourselves to account, improving our own performance and making sure that everyone is able to get into a home.”