The Liberals have pledged to introduce new planning regulations that would automatically approve compliant residential developments when councils fail to meet statutory timeframes.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff announced the policy as part of the Liberal’s housing platform ahead of the upcoming state election, promising to cut red tape and expedite home construction across the island state.
Under the proposal, residential planning applications would need to be determined within 28 days, while discretionary applications would have a 42-day timeframe.
“Every single Tasmanian deserves a roof over their head,” Rockliff said.
“Should the statutory timeframes not be met, this new policy will ensure residential development applications that comply with the planning scheme are deemed approved.”
The Premier indicated the government would also seek to limit councils’ ability to request additional information on development applications, which he suggested can cause unnecessary delays in the approval process.
“This will mean we can get more Tasmanian families into homes sooner,” he said.
If re-elected, the Liberals have committed $150,000 to partner with industry bodies including the Planning Institute of Australia, Local Government Association of Tasmania and the Property Council of Australia to develop guidance and educational materials supporting the reforms.
The party has also promised to modernise the Land Use Planning and Approvals Act to make it more functional for both councils and developers.
