Developments in the Tweed are receiving faster approval according to a performance monitoring report released by the NSW Department of Planning this week.
“The Tweed’s overall results in the Department of Planning’s Local Development Performance Monitoring 2009-10 report were very positive, with improved processing times in many areas,” Tweed Shire Council’s Director of Planning and Regulation, Vince Connell, said.
In one of the key indicators, Council has reduced its average gross determination times for all development applications from 110 days in 2008/09 to 98 days in 2009/10 – a reduced margin of 10.9 per cent. This is compared to the State average of 64 days.
“There is further evidence of improvement in results for major DA categories. Processing times for alterations and additions to single dwellings were reduced from 71 to 61 days, from 108 to 70 days for new single dwelling houses and from 166 to 101 for commercial, retail and office developments.
“Council’s performance is even more favourable through a review of the “mean net” determination indicator, which factors in the use of the stop-the-clock mechanism when further information is sought from an applicant. The Tweed’s average mean net result for all development applications was 47 days, comparing more favourably to the State figure of 43 days.”
Tweed Council was also a solid performer in the assessment of complying development certificates, with an average processing time of 11 days, comparing favourably against the State average of 14 days.
Tweed Council’s Land and Environment Court activity was relatively limited in the 2000-10 performance period, with only three Class One Appeals.
Mr Connell pointed out the improved performance was achieved despite a need to allocate considerable resources to a series of Major Project applications such as Cobaki and Kings Forest, involving some of the largest developments in the State.
“Tweed Council still achieved a major improvement in the 2009/10 reporting results, which can in part be attributed to the hard work and professionalism of Council’s assessment staff, as well as the emergence of better prepared, more complete development applications arising from Council’s improved, web based DA checklists and information guidelines,” he said.
Mr Connell clarified information released by the Sydney based Urban Taskforce this week in response to the Department of Planning’s report.
An Urban Taskforce media release incorrectly named Tweed Council as the fifth worst performer for development applications worth more than $20m, taking an average of 497 days to determine these applications. After the Taskforce was informed this was incorrect, the error was acknowledged and corrected to state more accurately that Tweed Council was the 11th best performer in the State for DAs exceeding $20m, with an average processing time of 225 days.
The release also stated Tweed Council took an average of 589 days to process applications for developments between $5m and $20m.
“It failed to mention that this was the processing time for only one, highly deficient development application, out of a total of 815 DAs determined by Council in 2009-10,” Mr Connell said.
A more detailed analysis of the results of the Department of Planning’s Local Development Performance Monitoring 2009-2010 document will be submitted to Council’s next meeting in March.
