Push to speed approvals

LAWS demanding strict time frames for approving developments are needed to help boost the state’s housing supply, a new report says.

The Property Council of Australia Tasmanian division released its seven-step plan yesterday and called on the Government, TasNetworks and TasWater to commit to changes to help mend the worsening housing shortage.

The report said the Government must legislate that the planning authority must assess and respond to the applicant within a period of 42 days to help speed up development.

It said the June 2018 Hobart residential vacancy rates of 0.7 per cent were the lowest in the country, while in 2017 the 17 per cent growth in house prices was the highest.

The report also called on legislating a 42-day response time for TasNetworks or increasing the number of designers available so they could undertake requests in a timely manner.

A spokesman for the stateowned electricity transmission network said wait times for customer design work had fallen from 10 to eight weeks, and was expected to be reduced to 42 days by January.

“Over the past 12 months, we have been actively working on ways to address [unprecedented] demand and decrease time frames … including increasing our resources, reviewing supply-chain efficiencies, increasing inventory and outsourcing non-critical work,” he said.

Executive director of the Property Council’s Tasmanian branch, Brian Wightman, said the group was putting the ideas out there to spur action and ignite debate.

“Navigating through the approval process is an unnecessarily difficult task for developers and without time frames for the assessment of aspects, such as detailed engineering designs, the process can become a long and drawn-out affair,” he said.

“Aside from holding back delivery of housing to the mar- ket, costs associated with delays are incurred by developers and ultimately drive up end prices and lower investment appeal.”

The council’s blueprint also argued for streamlining TasWater’s processes, finalising the Tasmanian Planning Scheme, encouraging inner city housing construction, developing the Glenorchy to Hobart transit corridor and taking advantage of the Hobart City Deal.

Labor housing spokesman Josh Willie said the report en- dorsed several recommendations put forward by the State Opposition, including effective planning and encouraging inner city housing development.

“The chorus of stakeholders in support of Labor’s solutions is growing louder and the Government needs to listen and start taking action,” he said.

Housing and Planning Minister Roger Jaensch welcomed the report and said the Government was already considering or acting on many of the suggestions.