Program approach

Participation in the Approvals Program for 10 consecutive business days enabled an intense project focus. This included an examination of current practices and a revisit of challenging past applications that required applicants to not only meet the regulatory obligations of small business operations, but address the environmental constraints on land parcels where certain developments are in some way restricted.

Through a carefully crafted and facilitated program journey, participants were stepped through the five steps of design thinking. This approach assisted officers to identify how they might provide better information and streamline departmental practices to support business operators to understand and meet statutory conditions in the most efficient and timely way.

The decision by Executive and support by Council to take staff involved in small business application and approval processes off line for a two-week period aligned with the release of strategic and economic development plans. As demonstrated in the Action Plan developed by the team, the bespoke program stimulated innovation and accelerated reform development for a Shire ready to welcome new investment opportunities.