A number of State governments have begun to introduce reforms to planning and building application processes in an effort to increase efficiency and reduce costs. A recent report from the development industry found that Western Australia was leading the way in implementing these reforms.
The Property Council’s Development Assessment Principles Report Card found that in just two years Western Australia’s performance in planning and development had switched from being one of the worst in the nation to one of the best. WA Local Government Association (WALGA) President, Mayor Troy Pickard attributes the success to councils assisting in the implementation of State Government reforms. "Local governments have been actively working with the State to deliver on key strategies, such as the Directions 2031 framework, the preparation of new R-Codes for multiple dwellings and through engagement on the new waterfront development."
Mayor Pickard noted that many local governments were already achieving greater efficiencies in planning and development processes, with these gains to be shared with the entire sector through the preparation of a Local Government Planning Improvement Program.
One such local government is the City of Melville, which won the 2011 award for ‘Improved Planning Processes and Practices’ for its introduction of ‘Optimise’, from the Western Australian Division of the Planning Institute of Australia (PIA).
‘Optimise’ enables end to end electronic processing of planning and building applications and has sped up the approvals process significantly. In summing up the reasons for the award, the judges said that ‘Optimise’ delivered cost savings for customers and the City, improved accountability and governance, and streamlined the entire planning and building application process.
In relation to the introduction of similar reforms in other councils, WALGA President, Mayor Troy Pickard has commented that "Many councils have proposed new local planning schemes … but are awaiting the required State Government approval, with some schemes having been on the table for years".
Local governments in WA are fully supportive of modernisation of the planning and building application system, as the remarkable turnaround in performance indicates; however, as Mayor Pickard has noted, the sector could be making a greater contribution if delays by external agencies were resolved.
