A NEW development application portal could throw a spanner in the works for Tamworth Regional Council's (TRC) plan to cut turnaround from 28 days to 10.
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The state government has put a mandate on all councils to shift to the NSW Planning Portal by July 2021.
It's good news for councils who process DA's on paper, but TRC launched its own online portal in 2016 and there is some concern it could lead to double-handling, the council's planning director Sam Lobsey said.
"By July next year we could be in the situation where there are different locations to lodge applications, we have raised this with members of the e-planning unit and we are in discussions with them about this," he said.
"We are in the process of trying to reduce our DA turnaround from 28 days to 10 for standard developments and dual occupancies in the right area.
"My feeling is that they have gone with a blanket approach across the state and there will need to be more discussions with some of those councils in the state that have adopted online services."
The move is approved by Local Government NSW (LGNSW) as the state government has made assurances it won't add to council running costs and will ease the application process.
The outbreak of COVID-19 saw a significant number of councils that relied on paperwork sign up to the e-planning portal when restrictions forced them to close their doors to the public.
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The state government's planning portal launched in April and so far about a quarter of all councils in NSW have expressed an interest.
LGNSW president Linda Scott said the new system should streamline processes for local councils and help with economic recovery from the pandemic.
"Councils appreciate the NSW Government investing in more support to address council concerns with state-led blockages," she said.
TRC will still be responsible for approving DA's.