Community & Business
6 August, 2026
Planning shake-up to quicken DAs
Sweeping NSW government planning reforms are to come into effect.
By Abigail McLaughlin
People lodging development applications in Bogan shire could soon have less time to respond to requests for additional information as sweeping NSW government planning reforms come into effect.
Bogan Shire Council's director of development and environmental services, Cathy Black, outlined the changes to councillors at the July council meeting, explaining the reforms were designed to increase housing supply, improve the efficiency of development assessments and reduce delays across the planning system.
The reforms introduce new performance expectations for councils acting as consent authorities, including strict assessment timeframes for development applications.
Under the new requirements, Mrs Black said councils were expected to review applications within four days of submission, issue invoices within the same timeframe and lodge applications within an average of seven days.
Internal referrals should also be completed within 21 days of an application being lodged.
The biggest change is the introduction of staged targets for determining development applications. From July 1 this year, councils are expected to determine applications within an average of 90 days from lodgement. That target will reduce to 80 days from July 2027 and 65 days from July 2028.
Mrs Black said the tighter timeframes could affect applicants who are slow to provide additional information requested by council officers.
Her report noted that, in the past, applicants had generally not been given a strict deadline to supply additional information unless significant time had passed.
However, under the new system, delays in responding to requests for information could result in more applications being refused because councils will be required to make a determination within the prescribed assessment period.
The report also highlighted further reforms aimed at improving the quality and consistency of development applications.
Mrs Black said the NSW government is proposing an interactive online tool that would guide applicants through the requirements for their specific development, providing tailored advice on the documents and information needed before an application is lodged.
The aim is to reduce delays caused by incomplete applications, improve consistency and provide greater certainty for applicants while making it easier and faster to assess proposals.
Councillors also heard about changes to standard conditions of consent.
Standard conditions have been available as best-practice guidance since 2021, but amendments to planning legislation passed last year now allow standard and model conditions to play a greater role in development approvals.
Mrs Black said the proposed changes were intended to create greater consistency across NSW councils, reduce the time spent preparing conditions of consent and ensure approval conditions are proportionate to the scale and complexity of developments.
According to Ms Black's report, simpler developments will be subject to streamlined, outcome-based conditions, while larger and more complex projects will continue to require more detailed management plans.
The Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure recently sought public feedback on both the proposed improvements to development assessment and the new standard and model conditions of consent. Council received the report.