Sixteen NSW councils have secured state government funding to implement artificial intelligence to expedite development applications.

The Early Adopter Grant Programme encourages councils to trial new technologies to enhance the quality and accuracy of DA information. This initiative is part of a $5.6 million state government investment to integrate artificial intelligence into the planning system.

Councils review about 85 percent of all residential development applications in NSW, but the process often faces administrative delays, duplications, mistakes, and unmet site-specific requirements, according to Planning Minister Paul Scully.

“These are all issues that could be identified and resolved before a development application even arrives on a planner’s desk, leaving planners to approve homes more efficiently,” he said.

“Introducing AI into the planning system is about reducing the administrative workload of planners so that they can get on with their main job of planning.

“It also helps applicants as it reduces delays by making sure all the required information is provided without repeated requests. This will free up their time and help build more homes faster.”

It’s hoped the technology will save time by helping to cut requests for more information.”

The government reports that additional information was required for about one-third of the nearly 500 applications accepted into the Regional Housing Flying Squad Programme last year, with applicants taking an average of 42 days to respond. Eliminating the need to request extra information for this group alone would save approximately 6,300 days, equivalent to 17 years.

“If that is applied across the nearly 60,000 applications that are submitted in NSW each year, it means a saving of hundreds of thousands of days,” Scully said.

The upcoming phase of the project will explore technologies that integrate with the NSW Planning Portal, aiming to make artificial intelligence accessible to all applicants.

MAV gets on board with AI

The Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) has been awarded a $500,000 federal grant to support the state’s local government housing innovation program. This initiative aims to boost housing supply by integrating artificial intelligence to streamline planning processes.

The programme will not only assist councils with AI procurement but also promote increased density development, explore underutilised public land, and facilitate the repurposing of council-owned buildings for housing.

“The Local Government Housing Innovation Programme will resource and support all Victorian councils to continue to play their role in managing population growth and increasing well-located housing supply in neighbourhoods and towns across the state,” MAV President David Clark said in a statement.

MAV secured a grant with the support of Greater Dandenong City Council. Mayor Lana Formoso highlighted that Dandenong is leading Victoria in processing planning applications within statutory deadlines. This position makes the council ideally suited to spearhead the integration of artificial intelligence and other cutting-edge technologies.

Editors Publicspectrum

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