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- The next round of the McGowan government’s agenda to cut red tape has been announced, with a focus on streamlining the often confusing planning system
- Announced at a recent Property Council event, the reforms will see consultation begin on a new tranche of proposed planning reforms focused on driving efficiency and transparency in the WA planning system
- There will be four main areas of focus in the second round of reforms, with affordability, social housing, cutting costs, local councils and red tape on the agenda
- Property Council WA Executive Director Sandra Brewer said reforms to remove red tape will deliver productivity gains which will ultimately lead to faster housing supply and keep a lid on rapidly escalating house prices
- A focus on improving local government performance is also a positive according to the UDIA WA
The next round of the McGowan government’s agenda to cut red tape has been announced, with a focus on streamlining the often confusing planning system.
Announced at a recent Property Council event, the reforms will see consultation begin on a new tranche of proposed planning reforms focussed on driving efficiency and transparency in the WA planning system.
“We believe we can do more and can be bolder, we need to continually drive change to cut red tape, improve transparency, and have a more consistent approach to planning in WA,” Planning Minister Rita Saffioti said.
“It is still too hard for any landowner to know what to do with their property, it is still too hard for the community to understand what is happening, it is still too costly and cumbersome for normal people to navigate the planning system and far too much buck-passing.”
There will be four main areas of focus in the second round of reforms, with affordability, social housing, cutting costs, local councils and red tape on the agenda.
“Much of our planning system was designed at a time when there was more easy land to develop, we are now going into areas where it is very difficult to develop, so we need a better way to develop,” Saffioti said.
A Special Matters Development Panel will also be created to continue to consider State-significant developments under the new planning proposals.
The government now seeking submissions on measures to further reform the planning system, including reforms in the local government sector that can support changes in our planning system and identify changes to encourage more community participation through improved processes and greater access to information.
“Local government approvals can be difficult for small business and households to navigate, with significant differences in approaches by councils,” Local Government Minister John Carey said.
“This is a unique opportunity to identify reforms in the local government sector that can support changes in our planning system and improve the consistency of decision making on planning and development matters.”
Property Council WA Executive Director Sandra Brewer said reforms to remove red tape will deliver productivity gains which will ultimately lead to faster housing supply and keep a lid on rapidly escalating house prices.
“Initiatives to streamline approvals with State Agencies, utilities and departments will be supported by industry in the consultation.”
“Evidence in other states shows that establishing a State Referral Agency improves confidence in the system and is central to driving sustained economic growth.”
A focus on improving local government performance is also a positive according to the UDIA WA.
“While there are those local governments that perform very well, equally there are those LGA’s that cause projects to get absolutely bogged down in red tape because they are not doing the work upfront to sort out their local planning schemes and have a clear picture of what their local area will look like in the coming years,” UDIA WA CEO Tanya Steinbeck said.
“We need to see local governments with consistent processes, adhering to statutory time frames and transparently reporting on their performance.”
“We are very pleased to see that the Special Matters Development Panel will be established to consider State-significant developments moving forward,” Ms Steinbeck concluded.
