Council moving more applications, faster
Gold Coast City Council is set to further expand its RiskSmart project to process more development applications, faster, lending a helping hand to industry during the current economic downturn.
First introduced on the Gold Coast in 2007, RiskSmart offers developers a five-day turnaround for quality applications which comply with all relevant Council requirements.
To date, more than 40 applications have been processed under RiskSmart.
Until now, only applications for family accommodation and low-impact industrial/warehouse development have been eligible for RiskSmart assessment, but with Council endorsement next week (2/3), attached dwellings, or townhouses, could also be considered.
Council’s City Planning Committee Chairperson, Councillor Ted Shepherd, said Council was now receiving an average of one RiskSmart application a week.
“We’d like to see that increase. In the current economic climate, application processing times could make or break a project,” Cr Shepherd said.
“The more applications we can process quickly, the more jobs are protected in the city’s construction industry.”
Cr Shepherd said the benefits also flowed to other, more complicated applications.
“It means our planners can focus more attention on processing other, more complicated development projects, helping to also speed those processing times.”
He said only quality, code-assessable applications which ‘ticked all the boxes’ and met Council’s requirements could be considered under RiskSmart.
“Developments which would have a high impact and applications which are incomplete aren’t eligible. Quite rightly, these applications can take months to thoroughly assess.
“But for those whose applications are straight forward, complete and comply with all Council’s codes, I would encourage them to look at lodging under RiskSmart. A five-day turnaround is a significant incentive.
“It not only rewards applicants who provide us with good applications for quality developments, it also helps encourage others to meet this same standard.”
First introduced on the Gold Coast in 2007, RiskSmart offers developers a five-day turnaround for quality applications which comply with all relevant Council requirements.
To date, more than 40 applications have been processed under RiskSmart.
Until now, only applications for family accommodation and low-impact industrial/warehouse development have been eligible for RiskSmart assessment, but with Council endorsement next week (2/3), attached dwellings, or townhouses, could also be considered.
Council’s City Planning Committee Chairperson, Councillor Ted Shepherd, said Council was now receiving an average of one RiskSmart application a week.
“We’d like to see that increase. In the current economic climate, application processing times could make or break a project,” Cr Shepherd said.
“The more applications we can process quickly, the more jobs are protected in the city’s construction industry.”
Cr Shepherd said the benefits also flowed to other, more complicated applications.
“It means our planners can focus more attention on processing other, more complicated development projects, helping to also speed those processing times.”
He said only quality, code-assessable applications which ‘ticked all the boxes’ and met Council’s requirements could be considered under RiskSmart.
“Developments which would have a high impact and applications which are incomplete aren’t eligible. Quite rightly, these applications can take months to thoroughly assess.
“But for those whose applications are straight forward, complete and comply with all Council’s codes, I would encourage them to look at lodging under RiskSmart. A five-day turnaround is a significant incentive.
“It not only rewards applicants who provide us with good applications for quality developments, it also helps encourage others to meet this same standard.”
posted by JANET ROSE @ 5:12 AM
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