QLD Falls Further behind in Development Assessment Processing
Brisbane, 15 March 2012
The most recent Development Assessment Report Card from the Property Council of Australia paints a gloomy picture for Queensland’s land development and housing affordability. Queensland has slipped in the rankings from fifth to eighth since the last Report Card in 2010 in scores against the Development Assessment Forum’s ten Leading Practice Principles.
SIBA members struggle daily with the Sustainable Planning Act requirements on behalf of developer clients and the mums and dads who want to do small subdivisions of their property.
Board Member Michael Arnold, a qualified surveyor and town planner, agreed with the assessment that the Sustainable Planning Act is “even more prescriptive and bureaucratic in its processes” than its predecessor.
“We urge Queensland and the other low performing states to take the DAF principles seriously and begin to implement the necessary changes needed for efficient and streamlined Development Assessment.” He said.
“To not do so adds to a lack of residential affordability and restricts unnecessarily economic investment and growth”
Just because Queensland is performing poorly in the national context does not mean that some Local Governments are not performing well.
SIBA Chief Executive Jack de Lange said that feedback from members indicated that some local governments had recently made incredible improvements in Development Assessment.
“The Local Governments in Ipswich and Logan, for example, have demonstrated that even with an ineffective planning regime in Queensland, best practice mixed with a “can do” attitude can deliver efficient, consistent and productive planning outcomes,” said Mr de Lange.
The Spatial Industries Business Association is an active participant in the work of the Development Assessment Forum and supports DAF’s (Development Assessment Forum) aims and recommendations to improve development assessment in Australia through (but not limited to): simplification and streamlining of planning processes, codes and mapping; adoption of national harmonization through the development and adoption of national codes to assess houses, apartments and commercial developments; introduction of efficient and cost effective planning processes; improved access to information for stakeholders; and the implementation of electronic planning systems (eDA).
“Australia’s planning systems on a whole remain inconsistent, complex, non-transparent, and inefficient,” said Mr Arnold. “A national focus would go a long way to resolving some of these issues,” he said.
For further information contact:
Michael Arnold, SIBA Board Member
T: (04) 2830 2684 E: michael.arnold@adcqld.com.au
Jack de Lange, Chief Executive, SIBA
T: (04) 0966 4295 E: jdelange@spatialbusiness.org
About SIBA
The Spatial Industries Business Association (SIBA) is the peak industry body representing private companies that provide spatial or location based services and products to mining, land development, natural resource management, infrastructure and construction, emergency services, transport and most other areas of daily activity in modern society.
These services and products include surveying, mapping, satellite imagery supply and analysis, geographic information systems, software and systems development, asset management, design, project management, and many peripheral and support activities.
Members provide these services and products to individuals, businesses and governments at all levels. SIBA represents companies ranging from large multinationals to individual private operators. 
