The Business Council of Australia (BCA) has proposed measures to address delays in housing development approvals by local councils, which it argues are contributing to Australia’s housing supply crisis. The BCA is urging state governments to impose deadlines on local councils for deciding on housing development applications, with potential consequences for failure to comply.
Key Proposals
Set Deadlines for Approvals:
Local councils would be mandated to consult with housing developers and agree on specific deadlines for ruling on development applications.
If councils fail to meet these deadlines, the approval rights would default to the state government.
Accountability Measures:
Councils that consistently miss their decision-making deadlines would face the loss of their approval powers, transferring those responsibilities to state governments.
Performance Monitoring:
The BCA referenced New South Wales’ online “council report card” as a model for tracking how long councils take to resolve applications, advocating for similar systems in other states.
Project Significance:
The BCA suggested that state governments should have the authority to assess and approve projects deemed of “state significance,” calling for a reduction in the financial thresholds that define such projects.
Concierge Service for Approvals:
A “state concierge service” is recommended for monitoring and expediting development decisions, inspired by a model used in Queensland.
BCA’s Perspective
BCA Chief Executive Bran Black highlighted the urgent need to expedite the housing approval process to alleviate supply constraints, stating, “We need to turbocharge the assessment and approval process so we get more homes built faster.” He noted that while demand-side government measures are being proposed, the lack of timely supply decisions remains a critical issue.
Conclusion
The BCA’s proposal aims to streamline housing development approvals to encourage investment and address the ongoing housing supply crisis in Australia. While Black acknowledged the challenges of implementing these changes, he emphasized the necessity for action to facilitate faster housing delivery.
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