Online portal speeds up planning in NSW
12 July 2021
Joint Ministerial Media Release from Rob Stokes, Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, and Victor Dominello, Minister for Digital and Minister for Customer Service.
Assessment times across NSW will be slashed by up to 30 days with all councils and government agencies now using the Planning Portal.
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Rob Stokes said all development applications and complying development certificates across the state must now be processed online through the Government’s portal, in line with the Premier’s mandate.
“Since the Premier’s mandate was announced in late 2019, we’ve provided councils with tools, advice and funding to get them all onto the planning portal by 1 July this year,” Mr Stokes said.
"ePlanning has transformed a cumbersome and opaque paper-based process into a streamlined digital service enabling people to submit applications online and track applications in real-time.
“This one-stop shop plays an important role in keeping the economy moving while offering greater convenience for the people of NSW.
“More than 80,500 DAs have been submitted via the portal to date from January 2019, representing $91.28 billion in investment.”
Minister for Digital and Minister for Customer Service Victor Dominello said the reform is a big win for homeowners, local councils and the construction industry.
“The ePlanning portal saves time for applicants, it saves time for councils and it reduces duplication and administrative costs,” Mr Dominello said.
“The tool enables councils to post real-time performance data including the status of individual DAs and other planning applications and expected completion dates for projects.
“This real-time tracking means more transparency and accountability when it comes to planning decisions. The community can read all of the documents associated with a proposal, know what stage it’s up to and receive updates as it progresses.”