Located in New South Wales, Pittwater Council has placed particular emphasis on providing information and services via the web. It views its website as a worldwide customer service centre. As such, it provides a 24 hours a day, seven days a week service to customers from the convenience of their offices or homes, whenever they choose to do business with Council.
To address planning legislation complexities, a high level of development in the Warriewood Valley land release area, and customer uncertainty in regard to the planning process, Council came up with an online Development Enquiry and Assessment Project (DEAP). Through various stages, DEAP has delivered an improved level of service and communication to the community by clarifying planning controls, the Development Application (DA) process and post approval monitoring of development works.
Pittwater formed a technology partnership with software developer, InfoMaster to form the solution. Through this partnership, in 2004, Council and Infomaster implemented MasterPlan, interactive software that enables planning instruments to be simply and accurately accessed via the internet. MasterPlan lists what controls apply to a specified development on a nominated property and describes exactly what information is required to be submitted in support of an application.
In 2005, MasterPlan was extended to enable electronic assessment of DAs and in the near future will provide full electronic lodgement and processing. The electronic assessor function guides staff through the assessment process and automatically produces relevant reports and documents necessary to determine the application.
Information only needs to be keyed in once and the use of mobile ‘tablets’ and broadband internet access means the development officer can undertake components of the assessment on site.
Council’s Manager Planning and Assessment, Lindsay Dyce, said this has allowed Council to introduce a performance standard for DA assessment.
“In 2000/01, Pittwater was reported to have a median development application processing time of 84 days, the third longest processing time in the metropolitan area,” he said. “The electronic assessor function has greatly reduced application assessment times and provides transparency and consistency of process.”
In late 2003, Council and InfoMaster introduced MasterView, software that allows Development Application and Construction Certificate tracking.
Lindsay Dyce said DEAP has resulted in a progressive reduction in the number of DAs on hand.
“Incoming calls to the call centre, as well as visits to the counter have halved from the same time last year,” he said. “There has also been a decrease in the number of legal appeals, due to the ready availability and simplified delivery of planning information.”
The final component in the DEAP suite of products will be a fully operational electronic lodgement module, available by July 2006.
For further information contact Lindsay Dyce on (02) 9970 1135.
