16 July 2024

Development application league tables for councils

In line with a commitment the NSW Premier made last year, the State Government last week published league tables to monitor performance for the lodgement and determination of development applications.

While we always welcome transparency, we would like to see the NSW Government go further to provide a greater level of detail and a more accurate evaluation of all players in the housing supply pipeline.

Councils across NSW are working hard to improve performance, and there are many reasons why timeframe performance may vary between councils. This can include the volume, type and complexity of development applications, and the proportion of those development applications requiring concurrence from the NSW Government.

Disappointingly, the league table data also doesn’t account for the days and weeks councils are waiting for responses to requests for additional information.

Overall, the league table data does not tell the whole story.

It’s welcome, though, that the NSW Government will be monitoring and reporting on the planning performance of its own departments.

LGNSW would also like to see the State Government publish the rezoned dwelling capacity across the state and the volume of DAs approved, but where construction has not started or been completed. This data would help identify where market conditions such as access to finance, escalating construction costs or land banking by developers need government attention.

LGNSW media release

Good news – funding for drug and alcohol support

The NSW Government has announced $33.9 million over four years to deliver wrap-around support services at 12 new alcohol and other drug hubs across NSW.

LGNSW has long called for greater investment in these services, particularly in rural and regional NSW, and most recently made the case for this investment in our submission to the Parliamentary Inquiry into community safety in regional and rural communities.

In response to a related 2023 conference resolutions from Kempsey Shire Council, I also wrote last year on this matter to the NSW Minister for Police, Yasmin Catley MP.

This is such an important announcement from the NSW Government, and I am also pleased that the NSW Government has now set dates for its drug summit. This will include two days of regional forums in October, followed by two days of forums in Sydney in early December.

Annual conference registrations and motions launch this week

Early bird registrations for the 2024 LGNSW Annual Conference launch this week! Registrations and submission of motions open tomorrow, so make a note in your diary.

You’ll receive an LGNSW notice this week with details on registration and motions. Motions criteria have been adjusted this year, so I encourage you to review these criteria closely in the materials that will be sent to you. Motions must be strategic, concise, seek to establish or change a position of LGNSW, and likely to concern a substantial number of councils across NSW, along with several other criteria. You can review the full criteria online.

Motions must also have support of your council. This evidence can take the form of an extract of meeting minutes where your council has resolved to support the motion.

In line with the LGNSW rules, the latest date motions can be accepted for inclusion in the conference business paper is Sunday 20 October 2024.

This year’s conference will be held from Sunday 17 to Tuesday 19 November at Tamworth Regional Entertainment and Conference Centre.

Conference website

AR Bluett Awards

A reminder that applications for the AR Bluett Awards close on 31 July. Winning councils will be announced at the LGNSW Annual Conference later this year.

If you would like recognition of excellence and progress by your council and council staff, please consider applying for the oldest and most prestigious local government award in NSW. 

New HR induction video launch

LGNSW is delighted to announce a new induction video for onboarding new staff. The video, which is required to be made available to new employees, gives effect to a comment under subclause 3(iv) of the Local Government (State) Award.

The video aims to provide a high-level summary of the vast array of benefits of working in the local government sector, which are negotiated by LGNSW and the following local government unions:

• United Services Union (USU)
• Local Government Engineers' Association (LGEA)
• Development and Environmental Professionals' Association (DEPA).

More Information

Excellence in the Environment Awards – deadline extended

I encourage all councils to take advantage of the extended deadline for Excellence in the Environment Awards applications.

Councils now have until Friday 19 July, so don't miss your opportunity to highlight the excellent work you’re doing for your communities.

Held annually, the awards aim to recognise outstanding achievements by NSW councils in managing and protecting the environment.

For each of the awards, there are four divisions based on the type of organisation and a council's population base:

• Division A: councils with a population less than 30,000
• Division B: councils with a population of 30,000-100,000
• Division C: councils with a population of more than 100,000
• Division D: JOs, ROCs and County Councils

More information

Sincerely,

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