For people who regularly submit development applications, recently you may have noticed it is taking longer than normal to process.
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Kempsey Shire Council is aware that applicants are enduring longer than usual waits at present, with average approval times estimated at three months.
Along with the rest of New South Wales, there is a development boom happening in Kempsey Shire. While this is beneficial to our economy and housing supply, it also puts a lot of pressure on Council's limited resources.
Kempsey Shire Council General Manager, Craig Milburn, said Council is receiving a great number of development applications at present, and that there are a number of factors impacting the speed of processing applications.
"Council acknowledges the frustration of residents who are experiencing delays with their development application process," said Mr Milburn.
"We are experiencing a high volume of DAs currently and there are a number of factors impacting our ability to deal with those as efficiently as we wish to. One is the volume, there is also a number of complex DAs which take longer than a standard house.
"We are attempting to get additional resources, but there is a state-wide shortage of planners at the moment. We also have delays when matters need to be referred externally because the state government has a huge amount of work on and are trying to keep up. And some applications can be held up if we haven't received the correct information and we are going back and forth with the applicant."
Council's Development and Compliance team who assess development applications provide the following advice for new applicants:
- Research and gather information about the property
- Seek the assistance of a professional planner
- Consider booking a pre-lodgement meeting to understand Council's position on any complex issues
- Ensure all documents are present and complete before submitting the application
You can also make a general planning enquiry to Council's Duty Planner service by emailing Council at ksc@kempsey.nsw.gov.au at any time, phoning Council on 6566 3200 on Wednesdays from 10am-12 noon or 1pm-3pm.
Once submitted, you can monitor the status of your application, through the DA Tracker and Public Register
