Presentation by Ben Hendriks – PIA Streamlined Housing Assessment Event, April 2025

The presentation, titled Are We Stuck in the Small Stuff?, drew on data from BCI Central and the Business Council of Australia’s Regulation Rumble to explore why delays in residential development approvals persist—even as DA volumes fall.

Among the key insights:

• 89% of residential DAs are valued under $1 million, including additions, alterations, and small-scale dwellings.
• DA lodgements have declined, but approval timeframes have increased, now averaging well over 100 days across Sydney.
• In some councils, similar applications take three to four times longer to assess than in others.
• NSW has the longest average DA approval times in the country – and residential approvals now take as long as mining approvals in other jurisdictions.

Rather than drawing conclusions, the presentation posed five questions about the way the system is functioning – and what kind of planning culture we want to foster.

Do we have the right balance between scrutiny and efficiency? Are we scaling effort in line with risk? And are we spending too much time on low-risk applications, to the detriment of strategic delivery?

The presentation challenges planners, policymakers, and assessment teams to reflect on how the system can better support good outcomes – not just defend existing process.

Download the full presentation below.

Are We Stuck in the Small Stuff?