Building a home feels like ‘death by a thousand revisions’. New reforms could change that

2 hours ago 1

Jeremy and Suzy Whiting had big renovation dreams when they bought their northern Sydney home in December 2021. But faced with the Byzantine planning system, they knew they had to keep their ambitions in check.

A complex and lengthy development application process with their local council would blow out budgets and timelines.

Jeremy and Suzy Whiting with their son George at their home in Ryde.

“I couldn’t build the Taj Mahal because it would have to go through the DA process,” Whiting said. “It’s death by a thousand revisions, a thousand codes and clauses.”

Instead, they used the faster complying development pathway, where certificates are typically issued by accredited private certifiers and without councils assessing on subjective merit. It worked: four months later, in April 2022, builders were onsite for the demolition and construction of their North Ryde home.

This would be easier for the next Whitings. Under proposed changes to the planning laws, councils would be forced to approve small variations on complying DAs within 10 days.

Whiting, who has more than a decade’s experience in the building industry, welcomed the reforms.

“It’s cutting that red tape. People who are looking to do those renovations might be mums and dads who are teachers, police officers, accountants, they’re not specialised in construction. By simplifying that, you’re going to help them achieve their goals of renovation or extensions,” he said.

Whiting’s eagerness for the reform is not matched by all councils, some of which expressed concerns the reforms would have “irreversible impacts” on their communities.

Most councils acknowledged the planning system was burdensome and difficult, and welcomed changes to simplify the process of constructing homes – Labor’s Inner West mayor Darcy Byrne said the reforms were needed to “break the back of this housing crisis”. However, several raised concerns about the impact the upheaval will have on the ability of councils to plan for their own areas.

Ryde’s Liberal Mayor Trenton Brown said he was concerned the changes would circumvent council and its vision for the community, “ultimately compromising the character of local areas and the ability to achieve a balance of appropriate land uses in appropriate locations”.

“We need to be building liveable communities, not just houses,” he said.

Parramatta’s Liberal Lord Mayor Martin Zaiter: “There’s no doubt that the NSW Planning system is overly complicated, so we welcome changes to modernise the system and make it easier for all. However, any changes to the system must not come at the expense of good strategic planning, genuine community consultation and the involvement of councils.”

Hills Shire Mayor Michelle Byrne, whose council has taken an aggressive approach to the government’s previous reforms, said the 10-day assessment plan “has merit”, and was a policy the council had previously advocated the government take.

But she said enshrining the government’s Housing Delivery Authority into legislation would have “irreversible impacts on The Hills Shire for generations to come”.

“Council is strongly opposed to the … the lack of rigour or restraint it has shown in fast-tracking completely inappropriate developments,” she said.

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