In the Australian State of Queensland, councils are rolling out a new electronic development assessment system, to speed up the application process and reduce costs for councils and industry. Following successful trials within Redland City Council, Bundaberg will become the second council in the State to bring the Smart eDA system online. Minister for Infrastructure and Planning, Stirling Hinchliffe, says the initiative has been developed by the State Government, in consultation with the Local Government Association of Queensland, councils and industry stakeholders.
He says the system will significantly speed up the existing development assessment process. "Paper-based development applications are generally difficult to handle, disperse and monitor and place significant demands on councils in terms of staff and costs,'' he says. "The electronic system provides Queensland with a more efficient, transparent and consistent development assessment process that will reduce the cost of development.”
According to the Minster, officers from the Department of Infrastructure and Planning delivered training to industry stakeholders in the lead up to the system's release. "The Smart eDA website provides a single portal for industry and applicants to use across local government jurisdictions. Applicants can prepare and lodge their development applications online and also track their progress," Hinchliffe says. "It transforms the current paper-based Integrated Development Assessment System process into an intuitive and interactive, internet-based process.”. The new system will also enable the integration of council and State Government systems, while helping to identify any applicable referral agencies.
