Page 1236 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 3 April 2019
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(iv) the number of DAs waiting for processing at the beginning of the quarter, the number received during the quarter, the number processed during the quarter and the number outstanding at the end of the quarter; and
(e) that the report detailed above be provided commencing with the June quarter 2019.
This is the most basic of motions. This is a motion that identifies a problem and calls upon the government to fix it. It is not rocket science. It is abundantly clear that we have a traffic jam in the processing of DAs and it is also clear to everyone that this is having a detrimental effect on many in the space.
Time and again the Chief Minister stands in this chamber and talks about the growth figures in Canberra and trumpets the growing numbers of individuals who are moving to the city. Their arrival, and the construction that is required to house them, is driving much of the city’s economic activity. But, for whatever reason, this government cannot ramp up the planning directorate to deal with that increase in activity. If we are making so much money from the land sales and the increased construction, surely we can divert a little more of those resources into dealing with DAs in a timely manner?
It is important because development applications play a vital role in making sure that building proposals comply with the Planning and Development Act and the Territory Plan. Development applications provide the universal gateway to start the ball rolling for a property development or redevelopment. It does not matter whether it is a billion-dollar construction project sponsored by a major property developer or simply a mum and dad asking permission for a granny flat or a cottage for a family member. No matter what your status or the scale of the project, you must submit a development application.
Many development applications are, to a degree, straightforward. They are somewhat easy to check and verify. In order to help us here, the application form contains a checklist that allows the applicant to make sure that they have addressed all the information requirements that are necessary to progress their submission.
But even a relatively straightforward application places many obligations on the applicant, ranging from the informal to the complex. For example, with an application for a secondary residence you would be advised to make sure you consulted your neighbours to make sure that they are happy with what you are doing, well before you start filling out your application. Then you must make sure that you have consulted other stakeholder agencies such as ActewAGL and Transport Canberra and City Services. Obviously, the applicant will have to submit properly drafted plans for what they want to do, including, for example, an access plan, an elevation plan, a floor plan, a section plan, a site plan, a survey certificate and other obligatory information items such as a detailed statement against the relevant planning criteria.
In relation to relatively simple applications, many will choose to undertake the consultations, do the research, pay for the necessary plans and submit it all themselves. It is an exhausting process and a costly one for the mum and dad, the families, the individuals trying to do the right thing. If an application is a little more expansive or is
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