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Council a fast gun in processing
Tuesday 8 April, 2008 12:01am
WHEN it comes to processing development applications, Baulkham Hills Council gets a gold star.
The council was ranked fifth in its category in an independent analysis of NSW councils' processing times for development applications.
The average processing time across NSW was 76 days and Baulkham Hills achieved near top rank in its group of eight comparable councils with 36 days, figures released by the Planning Department showed.
During 2006-2007 Baulkham Hills Shire Council approved 2,165 applications worth $576 million, which was more than any other council except Lake Macquarie, Blacktown, Sydney City and Shoalhaven.
The council was third on the list of all councils with the highest number of construction certificates issued during the period which was up three per cent at 2136.
Baulkham Hills Shire Mayor Sonya Phillips said: "While there is always an argument to be made to improve planning reform, we are doing well by comparison."
She said that one of the figures not revealed in the survey related to residential approvals.
"We achieved 93 per cent of approvals within 40 days," she said.
"I'm confident we will improve on that figure in future years."
"If applicants seek advice initially, then lodge developments which entirely satisfy the relevant planning codes, they will get a decision well within a month," Cr Phillips said.
She added that while developers needed certainty and consistency in processing it was council's duty to act as the watchdog for the community and the gatekeeper to guard against oppressive or inappropriate development.
The Department of Planning is taking over the job of statistical analysis from the Department of Local Government, Cr Phillips said.
