City of Newcastle has cut almost two weeks off the average time it takes to determine a development application (DA) as investment in the city continues to grow.
Just over 1,000 DAs were assessed by City of Newcastle last year with an average timeframe of 65 days, well below the NSW Government's target for the city of 78 days.
More than $1.42 billion of development was approved by all consent authorities for Newcastle in the past year.
This is up 47% on the previous financial year, highlighting the significant nature of development unfolding in the city including the 280-apartment ERA development on Bull Street, Newcastle West ($189.6 million), the mixed use commercial and 191 residential apartments on Hunter Street, Newcastle West ($120.6 million) and the eight-storey student accommodation on University Drive, Callaghan, incorporating 450 beds ($128.5 million).
City of Newcastle Executive Director of Planning and Environment Michelle Bisson said assessment efficiency was delivering real benefits.
"Faster assessments are helping deliver housing, jobs, investment and critical infrastructure sooner for the Newcastle community," Ms Bisson said.
"We are continuing to exceed NSW Government assessment expectations while managing one of the State's highest development assessment workloads.
"This was acknowledged with the maximum funding allowance of $3 million under Round 1 of the NSW Government's Faster Assessments Incentive Program, which will contribute to the Union Street streetscape renewal project in Wickham.
"The program rewards eligible councils that reduce and maintain low development assessment timeframes, with funding directed to infrastructure that supports housing growth."
Significantly, City of Newcastle had the fastest determination time for the top six Councils in NSW ranked by volume, followed by Sydney's Inner West, which determined 1053 DAs in an average assessment time of 96 days.
Within the Hunter, City of Newcastle continues strong performance, recording faster average assessment times than similar high-volume councils and a high proportion of applications meeting State expectations.
Newcastle's development activity is also reflected in national construction indicators, RLB Crane Index, reinforcing the city's position as one of Australia's most active development markets.
Executive Manager Planning and Development Amy Ryan said City of Newcastle's innovative development assessment processes play an important role in supporting this continued development confidence and investment pipeline.
"Our award-winning Accelerated Development Application (ADA) model has been central to the improvement in determination times," Ms Ryan said.
"It delivers a streamlined assessment process for low-risk, decision-ready applications, allowing planning teams to dedicate more time to complex projects and improving overall turnaround times.
"On the back of this program's success, we were given $2 million by the NSW Government to develop a framework that would support its broader roll out to councils across the state.
"The successful adoption of the ADA model by other councils demonstrates Newcastle's role as a leader in planning innovation and development assessment reform across NSW.
"Efficient decision-making provides greater certainty for applicants, investors and the community, helping to support housing supply, job creation and the timely delivery of development and infrastructure."
NSW Government League Tables showing development assessment performance in 2025/26
