NEW South Wales Planning Minister Brad Hazzard last week released the 2010-11 Local Development Performance Monitoring report, saying it highlights the need for a complete rewrite of the state's planning system.

The report provides comprehensive statistics about development in NSW, including annual information on the volume, value and type of development and council processing times.

"This report backs our view that the piecemeal reforms made by Labor haven't worked and the planning system needs a complete overhaul," Mr Hazzard said.

According to the report, development application (DA) determination times averaged 68 days in 2010-11, up from 67 days in 2009-10.

In 2010-11, the overall number of development proposals fell by 2,745 to 68,025, however the value of development activity increased by $1.23 billion to $19.87 billion.

The Sydney Region comprised 53 per cent of all development approvals, representing a value of $13.4 billion, $1.5 billion higher than 2009-10.

Other statistics include:

• State agencies took 47 days to comment on DAs – up from 43 days in 2009-10;
• More than one third of DAs had their assessment suspended due to incomplete information from the applicant – the same proportion as in 2009-10;
• 18.5 per cent of developments were approved via the fast-tracked complying development approach;
• Residential development comprises the majority of development (69 per cent);
• Residential alterations and additions comprised 40 per cent of all approved development in 2010-11;
• Single new dwellings comprised 84 per cent of new residential development approvals;
• New multi-unit residential developments comprised 5 per cent of all new residential development approvals in 2010-11;
• The councils with the most approvals (DAs and CDCs) for 2010-11 were Sydney City Council, Blacktown City Council, Lake Macquarie City Council and The Hills Shire Council.
• Mean gross determination times for development valued at $5-$20 million fell from 257 days (2009-10) to 229 days in 2010-11; and
• Mean gross determination times for developments valued over $20 million decreased significantly from 317 days in 2009-10 to 253 days in 2010-11.

The report reveals the five NSW councils with the lowest mean gross determination time for DAs in 2010-11 were:

• Murrumbidgee Shire Council (11 days);
• Temora Shire Council (13 days);
• Coolamon Shire Council (18 days);
• Conargo Shire Council (18 days); and
• Berrigan Shire Council (18 days)

The five NSW councils with the highest mean gross determination time for DAs in 2010-11 were:

• Boorowa Council (136 days);
• Tweed Shire Council (133 days);
• Leichhardt Municipal Council (115 days);
• Mosman Municipal Council (114 days); and
• Botany Bay City Council (111 days)

"This is a comprehensive report which will assist our work to get new planning legislation into Parliament this year," Mr Hazzard said.

"I'd like to thank the councils which improved their performance and am keen to work with all councils to strengthen the planning system's efficiency."

The Local Government and Shires Associations of NSW praised NSW councils for their improved performance in assessing difficult and disputed development applications on local planning issues across the state.

President of the Local Government Association of NSW, Keith Rhoades, said the 2010-11 report reveals DA processing times have significantly improved across local government in NSW for complicated DAs.

In 2010-11, the number of councils with mean gross DA determination time over 100 days was 8 and Cr Rhoades said in the past five years, the number of councils taking an extended amount of time to determine a DA has dropped by nearly 70 per cent.

The Property Council of Australia used the report to reinforce the need for 'landmark' reforms to the state's planning system, saying the current system remains slow and cumbersome.

"NSW needs to re-boot its planning system – and remove the red tape and excessive delays that plague the system," NSW Executive Director Glenn Byres said.

"Councils lack accountability and act as a handbrake on projects that can deliver the investment, housing and jobs NSW desperately needs."

Property development industry group, Urban Taskforce, said the report shows improvement can be achieved through the standardisation of planning instruments, the increase in the use of complying development and from Joint Regional Planning Panels.

However, Urban Taskforce CEO Chris Johnson said NSW still has a long way to go to before it can match Queensland's planning system.

"Our councils still took on average 67 days to determine an application, while in Queensland the average determination time is 31 days." Mr Johnson said.

"The two year old Sustainable Development Plnning Act in Queensland illustrates just what improvements can come from a new act."

More information is available from the NSW Department of Planning and Infrastructure website at <http://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/>.