Gunnedah Shire Council is looking to make their DA process easier and improve their waste management as part of improving their performance following the introduction of new ‘league tables’ introduced last year.
A new system recently introduced by the NSW Government – the “Council League Table” – has placed a heavy emphasis on the number of days the determination of development applications process takes.
Gunnedah Shire Council Manager Development Assessment Wade Hudson said in the 2023-24 financial year, Council approved close to 150 development applications worth more than $31 million. Mr Hudson said the “League” system did not take into account the lengthy delays that occurred when applications were missing vital information and needed to be sent back to the applicant.
“To meet performance criteria, Councils now have to reject or refuse development applications at an earlier stage than we might have done in the past, meaning there is a higher chance of early refusal of an application,” Mr Hudson said.
“Local government authorities across Australia are well aware there is a shortage of town planners that can lead to delays in approvals,” Mr Hudson said.
“However, the bulk of applications impacted by delays are those that do not include the necessary information and need to be sent back to the applicant for more information.
Mr Hudson said the assessment of development applications is a necessarily regulated process, and applications must comply with pre-set criteria included in State Policies and the Local Environmental Plans. Applications cannot be approved unless they meet these criteria.
“We know it can be a daunting task for people who are looking to renovate, build, subdivide or maybe put in a pool, so Gunnedah Shire Council offers a number of services to help get an application right.”
“To avoid this, we are ensuring we have a number of services in place to help applicants get their application right the first time.”
Council has information and application forms available on their website, pre-development application services, and a free duty planner service available by appointment between the hours of 9am and 1.30pm from Mondays to Fridays.
“We would like to make this process as easy as possible for applicants, and encourage people to take advantage of the services available,” Mr Hudson said.
People who go ahead with developments without the necessary approvals could face stop-work notices or penalties, and may be forced to remove structures.
New Waste Management strategy also on the way
Council is looking for feedback from the community to develop a 10-year waste avoidance and resource recovery strategy.
GSC has chosen ASK Waste Management to develop a new Waste Management Strategy, and results of this survey will help shape Gunnedah’s garbage management and recycling programs for the next decade.
The survey is part of the Waste Management Strategy and Rural Waste Facilities Study project, a program to evaluate Gunnedah’s current facilities, and recommend future actions that align with the NSW Waste and Resource Recovery Strategy, as well as with GSC’s Community Strategic plan. The survey is available online, with printed copies available at GSC’s Elgin Street chambers if respondents prefer to fill out the form by hand.
The project, GSC says, will be completed in four stages, with a summary of the results to be published for exhibition and further public feedback.
Further information about both initiatives is available on Council’s website https://www.gunnedah.nsw.gov.au/.