MEMBER for Northern Tablelands Adam Marshall today welcomed the State Government’s move to help speed up building projects across the region.
Mr Marshall said Armidale Dumaresq, Glen Innes Severn, Guyra Shire, Gwydir Shire, Inverell Shire, Moree Plains and Uralla Shire local government areas would have complying development assessments fast-tracked so builders and renovators could get on with projects in their communities.
The local MP said a complying development was a combined planning and construction approval for straightforward developments that could be determined through a fast-tracked assessment by a council or private accredited certifier.
Examples of complying development include minor renovations to a home, building a swimming pool, building a garage or carport and the demolition of a small building.
“These changes to the planning rules will help save people time and money, and will mean building projects can be delivered faster in our region,” Mr Marshall said.
“The government has listened to the local community, industry and businesses who have said previous requirements made complying development in regional and rural areas more expensive, time consuming and confusing.
“With these new rules in place people will be able to make small and simple changes to their properties quickly and easily.”
Fast-tracked complying development approvals can be issued on average within 18 days. This compares with the statewide average determination time for a full development application of 70 days. More than $4.4 billion of development was delivered by complying development across NSW in 2013-2014.
The changes to the existing Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulation 2000 will:
- remove the 14 day pre-approval neighbour notification for residential complying development; and
- reduce the pre-construction neighbour notification for new buildings and additions from seven days to two days.
For more information about the changes and the development affected, please visit http://hub.planning.nsw.gov.au/BuildingorRenovating/DoIqualifyforfasttrackapproval/Notifyingneighbours.aspx