Controversial new body aims to streamline DA approval

TIM HOWARD

Developers in regional NSW with projects worth more than $30 million can seek to have their DA approval fast tracked through a new State Government body set up in December.

Called the Housing Delivery Authority, the body is troika comprising the Premier’s Department secretary Simon Draper, Department of Planning secretary Kiersten Fishburn and Infrastructure NSW chief executive Tom Gellibrand.

Their remit is to pluck proposals from the planning system or take developers’ applications, meet monthly to consider proposals and make recommendations to Planning Minister Paul Scully on whether to declare them as “state signifcant” developments.

The proposal has drawn both criticism and praise with local government concerned it is further erosion of their role to have local control of development.

But others welcome the move to reduce bottle necks in the approval process.

Clarence Valley Council general manager Laura Black described the body as a state-led approval pathway that seeks to streamline approval and delivery of major housing proposals by removing local councils from the approval process.

Ms Black said the HDA pathway does not replace the existing “regionally signifcant development” pathway, where development applications are assessed by Clarence Valley Council’s professional staff and determined by the Northern Regional Planning Panel.

“From January 8, applicants may make an expression of interest to have their development applications declared as ‘State Signifcant Development’, where they are new housing projects over $30 million (on average 40 or more homes) in regional NSW,” she said.

“The HDA pathway also includes an option where a State Signifcant Development application can be considered with a concurrent rezoning proposal.”

Ms Black said there were other areas where the authority could have an effect on the DA approval process.

“The HDA’s EoI process includes criteria that focuses on multi-dwelling housing, residential fat buildings, and shop-top housing delivery, including a contribution to affordable housing supply, and limits proposals to locations that are well-serviced by infrastructure and free from environmental hazards and constraints, including food and bushfre prone areas,” she said.

“This means that subject to a proposal being accepted into the HDA pathway, Clarence Valley Council would have no role in assessment or determination of the State Signifcant Development application.”

Ms Black did not comment on the criticism from some councils that this body concentrated decision making power with a few “distant bureaucrats” and removed local input and knowledge from the approval process for major projects.

NSW Premier Chris Minns said the authority was formally established on Thursday after a “short, sharp” consultation. He said the approval process would potentially shave a year off assessment times and marked a “signifcant change to how we bring major housing developments to market”.

“These changes are about making it easier to increase housing supply near existing infrastructure vital to supporting thriving, vibrant communities, including more options for young people now and into the future,” he said.

From January 8, developers can submit expressions of interest to the authority for proposed large housing projects that have an estimated development cost above $60 million in Greater Sydney and above $30 million in regional NSW.

An estimated 80 to 100 proposals are expected to be assessed in the frst year.

More information on the Housing Delivery Authority and the process can be found here: www.planning. nsw.gov.au/policy-andlegislation/housing/ housing-deliveryauthority