Planning and Public Spaces Minister Paul Scully has announced a tender for an AI tool to streamline assessments of state-significant housing, with a goal of reducing average approval times well below the current eight and a half months.
NSW Executive Director Katie Stevenson said the announcement picks up on calls from the Property Council for governments at all levels to harness AI to boost productivity in planning.
"We've been clear in our submissions - to successive NSW Budgets, to the National Productivity Commission and the Treasurer's recent Economic Reform Roundtable - that AI can play a big role in cutting red tape and getting projects moving faster," Ms Stevenson said.
"Putting AI to work in planning will help clear one of the biggest bottlenecks in housing delivery, freeing up scarce planning resources to focus on the complex assessments that need professional judgement, while technology does more of the heavy lifting - it's about speeding up approvals without sacrificing quality.
The announcement follows persistent advocacy from the Property Council in NSW and at National level for greater investment in digital and AI-enabled planning tools to reduce costs and delays.
"Our 2023 NSW Housing Summit made the call for government to embrace new technologies, including AI, to speed up approvals. That year's Budget confirmed a $5.6 million commitment to an AI pilot in planning.
"Our 2024-25 NSW Budget submission also called for government to streamline and resource State Significant Development assessment pathways, targeting a six-month approval timeframe and resourcing digital solutions. These plans show government is listening and acting."
Ms Stevenson said the move demonstrates the value of industry and government working together to unlock solutions.
"This is exactly the sort of practical pilot we've been calling for – smarter technology combined with human oversight to build confidence and lift performance," she said.
Today's announcement adds to recent reforms secured after sustained advocacy from the Property Council – including the creation of the Housing Taskforce and Housing Delivery Authority, introduction of new State Significant Development pathways, the rollout of the State Significant Rezoning Policy, the NSW Housing Pattern Book and the Low-and Mid-Rise Housing Policy.
