EDA to streamline planning and development
The Australian Government today announced the state-by-state allocation of $30 million in funding to support a common protocol for the electronic lodgement of planning and development assessments (eDA).
New South Wales will receive almost $6 million, Victoria and Queensland around $6.5 million each, South Australia will receive almost $1.8 million and Western Australia over $3.8 million. The three smallest jurisdictions – Tasmania, the ACT and the Northern Territory will each receive half a million dollars.
The eDA state-by-state allocation was determined by comparing growth rates across different regions, with final allocations to councils likely to be available in September.
Improvements in development assessment processes will reduce delays in planning approvals, which in turn produces savings for home buyers.
Development assessments regularly need referral to various levels of government, and for this reason it is important that all the IT systems involved are able to talk to each other.
By providing this clear national framework, the Government is ensuring that all involved, including applicants and developers, local and State and Territory Governments, as well as Commonwealth referral agencies, are able to develop systems which interact electronically in the most efficient way possible.
This funding will provide an incentive for State, Territory and local governments to build IT systems for assessing building proposals faster.
$3.6 million will be spent so that software used by councils and State and Territory Governments will be able to talk to each another.
These funds will be used to for a national project team that will implement and continuously refine a common protocol for electronic development assessment, so that we don’t end up with the 21st century equivalent of different railway gauges in each state and territory.
To create a modern and national economy we need a single set of standards that allow for the interoperability of building and approvals.