Central Coast homeowners will be able to lodge development applications (DAs) anywhere in real-time, thanks to the NSW Government’s ePlanning initiative.
Minister for Customer Service Victor Dominello said the NSW Government has mandated ePlanning for Central Coast Council.
“This initiative puts the customer at the centre of the DA process by eliminating paperwork, allowing applications to be submitted anywhere in real-time, avoiding delays and boosting transparency,” Mr Dominello said.
Parliamentary Secretary for the Central Coast and Member for Terrigal Adam Crouch said ePlanning takes effect on the Central Coast today.
“Gone are the days of having to fill in piles of paperwork and travel to a council building to lodge a DA. From today, homeowners can now lodge DAs online in the comfort of their home,” Mr Crouch said.
“This transforms the way people on the Central Coast access the planning system.
“The experience from some councils that have already adopted the online system shows that DA processing times are being slashed by more than half.
“With significant future population growth in our community, it’s important that we all work to make the planning process as hassle-free, transparent and simple as possible.”
From today, councils and Principal Certifying Authorities (PCAs) operating in the areas covered by the mandate – including the Central Coast – will be required to start accepting and processing DAs, complying development certificates and post-consent certificates via the NSW Planning Portal.
From 31 December 2020, it will be mandatory for all of these applications and PCA appointments to be completed on the Portal. This transition period will allow councils time to prepare their operating procedures and staff to implement ePlanning successfully.
