PLANNING permit application processing times in Wangaratta dipped to new lows last financial year with just 55.61 per cent processed within the timeframe and the average application taking 105.8 days between lodgment and determination.
To address similar trends across Victoria, the State Government has announced new measures to hand over extended powers to the Minister for Planning to approve residential developments to speed up the building of affordable housing.
Minister Sonya Kilkenny will have the power to make decisions on residential developments worth at least $15 million in regional Victoria that include at least 10 per cent affordable housing under the plan.
The government reported that the planning approval system isn't working like it should and decisions aren’t getting made fast enough.
Over the last year, the number of dwellings approved across the state fell by 26.1 per cent.
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At a council level, there’s a backlog of around 1400 planning permit applications for multi-unit housing that have been sitting with councils for more than six months waiting for a decision.
Some 550 of those applications have been waiting for more than a year.
Of these, 78 projects have a development cost of more than $10 million – and would deliver around 4900 new homes.
In Wangaratta, last financial year there were 252 permit applications received, and of these there were 237 determinations, six notices of decision issued, 209 permits issued, and 18 withdrawn/lapsed/not required.
The permits involved 17 dwellings and 423 lots with an estimated cost of works at $57m and an average per permit of $269,000.
These figures were down on the previous year which involved $111m worth of permit works, including 53 dwellings and 124 subdivisions (lots).
The percentage of permits determined within timeframe dropped from 83.64 per cent in 2021-22 to 55.61pc in 2022-23.
The average processing timeframe rose from 71.61 days in 2021-22 to 105.8 days in 2022-23.
Stephen Swart, director of sustainability and culture, said the Rural City of Wangaratta planning department receive a steady flow of planning permit applications for a broad range of development proposals, and they strive to provide a service that enables outcomes as quickly as possible.
"There are times we have plenty of applications that are ready-to-go and other times there are delays in receiving additional information or objections that need to be resolved," Mr Swart said.
"Considerations must be made for factors like fluctuations in the cost of construction that may have an impact on the number of applications received and external factors that could impact the time it takes to make decisions on applications such as the process of getting feedback from external referral authorities.
"Our focus remains on customer service including responding to general enquiries from our community which is not reflected in State Government data.”
Victoria’s expanded Development Facilitation Program (DFP) will streamline the planning process for medium to high density residential developments that meet the set criteria.
The criteria include construction costs worth at least $50m in Melbourne or $15m in regional Victoria, and deliver at least 10 per cent affordable housing.
This will include new build-to-rent projects.
If these projects do not meet these criteria, the Minister for Planning can still approve a project if it delivers more than 10 per cent affordable housing, or if it demonstrates best practice design and environmental standards – working to support more longer term rental options for Victorians.
